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Kelly - Theatre of Terrestrial Astronomy

This series of 16 circular woodcuts is in Edward Kelly Tractatus duo egregii, de Lapide Philosophorum, una cum Theatro astronomi� terrestri,... Hamburg 1678.
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Emblem 1. A three-faced king sits upon a rainbow or arc of light, his feet resting upon a small globe of the Earth, within which a man wanders about blindfolded, seemingly in pursuit of a stag. The king points to the Earth globe with his right hand. Above his head is set a triangle in a circle of light. To the left is the Sun and to the right the Moon.
Emblem 2. Hermes-Mercury with winged helmet and sandals stands on the left beside a naked Luna or woman with a moon crescent on her head. He has the symbol of Mercury beside him, while the Lunar woman has the symbol of Sulphur, and linking them together is the word 'Hermaphrodita'. They stand on a flat plain, and four winds blow upon them from the Elements of Air, Fire, Earth and Water. Behind them are a range of mountains, upon which the gods of the planets stand - in order from left to right , Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Sun, Mars, Venus, and Moon.
Emblem 3. On a ridge of hills, from which a stream descend in a torrent, stand the gods of five of the planets - in order from left to right, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, and Mars. At the far right, and on the other side of the stream, Saturn is seen tumbling upside down from the mountain, while below him lying on the ground must be the figure of Jupiter. He is being attacked by a man with a pick-axe.
Emblem 4. At the foot of some hills a bearded alchemist stands, placing the figures of the planets into a wide necked flask which stands on the ground. So far he has Saturn, Mars and Mercury in the flask, and holding Venus in his right hand is about to place her in the flask. At his feet stands the diminutive figure of Jupiter. On the summit of the hills on the right stand the figures of the Sun and Moon.
Emblem 5. On the left at the foot of some hills the bearded alchemist distils the contents of the flask, now fitted with an alembic still-head, and heats this on a square furnace. He collects the distillate in a flask set upon a cubic stone. On the right at the foot of the hills are two lions.
Emblem 6. The alchemist stands on the left beside his flask within which is a winged lion eating a snake. In the neck of the flask is the symbol of Mercury. In the sky above the flask is a flying dragon seizing its own tail to form an ouroboros. On the ground below the flask, are two lions. One lion attacks and begins to devour the other.
Emblem 7. In a valley the alchemist stands holding his flask in his right hand. A bird flies out of the neck of the flask, towards some hills on the left upon the summit of which are the Moon and the Sun. At the foot of some hills on the right a winged dragon with a long neck lies on the ground. In the sky above the flask a lion devours the disc of the Sun. Above this is a rainbow or arc of light.
Emblem 8. The alchemist stands holding his flask in two hands. At the bottom of the flask is a human like figure, one of the gods or a homunculus, while from the neck of the flask a winged dragon flies up, and in turn, from its mouth emerges the figure of Luna with a moon crescent at her head. On the right of the flask a winged dragon lies on its back at the foot of some hills. On the left is the sea into which the disc of the Sun fall and emits clouds of steam.
Emblem 9. On an open plain the alchemist stands and pours the liquid contents of his flask into another flask which stands on the ground. From out of the first flask emerges a winged figure, while at the bottom of the lower flask is a human like figure, one of the gods or a homunculus. To the right a man sows seeds on a ploughed field. On the hills above this a pelican in its piety sits feeding its young on its blood. On the left in the sky above the alchemist and his flask, a flask set under the disc of the Sun collects an essence, while beside this a jug set in the clouds pours liquid into another flask above the alchemist's head.
Emblem 10. The alchemist stands on the left reading a book while he watches over his flask set on a square furnace. In the sky above is a dark Sun and a black Moon. On the right corn is growing.
Emblem 11. The alchemist stands on the right beside two square furnaces. In the background the corn continues to grow.
Emblem 12. Six of the planetary Gods, Jupiter, Mercury, Luna-Moon, Mars, Saturn, and Venus, sit in an arc in front of the Sun who crowned sits upon a throne. To the right the alchemist works his furnace and within his flask something is beginning to take form. To the left is the cornfield.
Emblem 13. The alchemist stands on the right beside two furnaces. The leftmost furnace is round, empty and seemingly extinguished, however the square furnace has the alchemist's flask upon it within which a Sun disc is shining.
Emblem 14. Jupiter sits on a throne holding out his staff or sceptre in his left hand. Upon his head he wears a triple crown. At his feet are small symbols of Sun and Moon while beside him stands the alchemist. Kneeling at his feet are Saturn, Sun and Mars on the left and Mercury, Venus and Luna or Moon on the right.
Emblem 15. A cosmos consisting of seven concentric rings probably connected with the planets, (the innermost ring being labelled with the symbol of the Moon.) These are labelled rising from the centre - Argentius, Albus, Rubeus, Aureus, Ruber, Blaudius, and Niger.
Emblem 16. A cross is shown set upon a globe (possibly the Earth). The leftmost arm of the cross has the Sun disc, while the rightmost arm has the Moon crescent. Within the globe below is a circle with inscribed square and triangle, and this is labelled - Blaudius. Four semicircles are set above the cross, like part of a cosmos diagram. The concentric hemispheres are labelled - Blaudius, Ruffus, Flavus, and Rubeus.