Three Dreams on the Transmutations of Metals - Magnum Opus Hermetic Sourceworks No. 27 / Number Twenty Seven

Giovanni Battista Nazari, Doug Skinner (Translated by) [Adam McLean]

Published by Magnum Opus Hermetic Sourceworks, 1998

About this Item

Glasgow: Magnum Opus Hermetic Sourceworks, 1998. AS NEW - Signed/Dated/Hand Numbered by McLean - 13 September 2002. "Three Dreams on the Transmutation of Metals issued as number 27 in the Magnum Opus Hermetic Sourceworks series, has been produced in a limited edition of only 300 copies, printed and bound by hand by Adam McLean". From the Publisher : "This series of limited edition hand-bound books by Adam McLean were initially produced between 1979 and 1986. They were never sold through book dealers, but only by direct mail order. Consequently, these books became collectors items, often fetching high prices on the second-hand market. This remarkable book written in the last half of the 16th century is an elaborate extended allegory in the form of three dreams. Through these the author is taken on strange journeys in which he meets various symbolic figures who lead him to realise the errors, deceptions and falsehoods of alchemy. He is guided by Bernard of Treviso towards an understanding of where the alchemical truth lies. This is one of the key allegories of alchemy. It appeared very early in alchemical publishing. Although written in Italian and never translated into Latin, this work must have influenced the explosion of the allegorical alchemy that appeared in the early 17th century. It draws upon the Hypnerotomachia (Dream of Poliphilus) printed in 1499, Nazari having the same fascination for elaborate descriptive detail of architecture and landscape. This is the first ever translation of this previously obscure work. Few will have heard of this work before, but this is truly one of the hidden gems of alchemical allegory. This book has a number of woodcut illustration that have become quite well known recently. Limited edition of 300 signed and numbered hardbound copies. 147 pages. Illustrations." . First Edition Limited. Hardcover/Hand Made by McLean. As New. Illus. by Woodcuts, Diagrams, Table, etc. 8vo size - 8½" tall.

Seller Inventory # 932710

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Three Dreams on the Transmutations of Metals - Magnum Opus Hermetic Sourceworks No. 27 / Number Twenty Seven
• Publisher: Magnum Opus Hermetic Sourceworks
• Publication Date: 1998
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: As New
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)