Chyromancy or Palmestrye. Also Physiognomy and Metoposcopie

Date:
1648
Reference:
MS.8727
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Chyromancy or Palmestrye. Also Physiognomy and Metoposcopie. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). Source: Wellcome Collection.

About this work

Description

English manual of practical chiromancy or palmistry dated 1648, formerly the property of Lord Redesdale. Arranged into the following sections:

Chyromancy or a short compend[ium] of Palmestry, that is to say many rare observations and select rules of the mysteries of nature touching the hand of man, pp.1-27

Physiognomy, pp.27-30

Metoposcopie, pp.30-41

The last few pages (pp.42-43, 46-47) contain pen and ink drawings of the hands and face.

The section on palmistry begins by providing information on the influence of the planets and astrological signs. This is followed by information on how to use palmistry to calculate when a baby will be born, reading a person's temperament, and the individual lines on the hand. The section ends by explaining how to read fingernails.

The short section on physiognomy includes information on the relationship between areas of the face, the planets and astrological signs, as well as how to read a person's temperament by the shape of their head.

The final section, titled metoposcopie, begins with an explanation of how to measure the forehead, and what these measurements mean, along with how to interpret the lines of the face. The rest of the section relates to physiognomy, and covers how to read the shape of the face, basic information about the four humours as they relate to physiognomy, how to read hair colour, the meaning of the size and colour of beards, and the shape of the chin, mouth, nose, eyebrows, eyes, ears and neck.

Publication/Creation

1648

Physical description

1 volume Calfskin binding. 190mm x 145mm x 10mm. Paginated

Acquisition note

Purchased at Christies (South Kensington) Lot 146, 23/11/09.

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Accession number

  • 1711