Ripley (George) (1415?-1490)

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Rotulum hieroglyphicum G. Riplaei Equitis Aurati. Copy of a copy made in 1588, of the 'Emblematicall scrowle: supposed to be invented by Geo. Ripley' as it is described by Elias Ashmole in his 'Theatrum chemicum Britannicum' London 1652, p. 375. The roll is divided into five panels: the first an Alchemist holding an alembic; the next, which is the largest, a fountain supported by a column with many symbolic accessory figures: the thrid, a golden eagle on a sphere, with legend 'The Birde of hermes is my name: eatings my winges to make me tame': the fourth, a large green dragon with other symbols: the last, a full-length figure of the Philosopher, bearing a staff having a scroll wrapped round it, one end terminating in a spear-haed, the other in a horse's hoof shod. Besides the descriptive legends there are four sets of verses. 1. At the top of the second panel, 10 lines beginning: 'Of the Sonne take ye thy light the redd gemme that is so bright' and ending: 'of him draw out a cinester flud and thy work shall be good'. 2. At the bottom of the second panel, 36 lines beginning: 'On the ground there is a hell [sic] also a serpent within a well' and ending: 'of the white stone and the redd hear is the very true deed' 3. At the bottom of the third panel, 12 lines beginning: 'In the Sea withouten lees standeth the bride of Hermes' and ending: 'Understand now well and right and thanck you God for this sight' 4. At the bottom of the fourth panel, 38 lines beginning: 'I shall tel you without leasing who and what is my generation' and ending: 'and make them all but one lok here is the philosophers stone'. In the right-hand border, against the end of this poem, is written: 'This long Rolle was drawne/in Collours for me in Lubeck/in Germay. 1588'.
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</p><p>Exhibited in ‘The Cult of Beauty’ held at Wellcome Collection, London, 26 October 2023 – 28 April 2024.</p>

Ripley (George) (1415?-1490)

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