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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original filemenschliche Zunge
The image features three distinct figures labeled Fig. I, Fig. II, and Fig. III, which provide detailed views of the tongue's musculature and surrounding tissues. Figure I and Figure II depict the tongue from lateral perspectives, showing elongated, layered muscle sections and connecting membranes. Figure III shows the tongue from a vertical, cross-sectional perspective, emphasizing the fibrous composition and the central ligament. Each part of the anatomy is marked with alphabetical characters keyed to a legend at the bottom of the page.
This illustration originates from the 'Utriusque Cosmi' (The Great and Small World) by Robert Fludd, a foundational text in the Rosicrucian and Hermetic tradition that explores the macrocosmic and microcosmic relationship between man and the universe. It exemplifies the early modern integration of empirical anatomical observation into cosmological and alchemical systems of knowledge.
148 Regionis Mediæ Liber V. TABVLA XI. LINGVAM ET EIVS Musculos describens. FIG. I. FIG. II. FIG. III. Figura 1. denotat latus dextrum linguae. A.A.A.Lingua cum tunica oris communi inuestita. B.B.Tunicae os succingentis portio ab ore secundum maxillae inferioris latera dissecta. C.Tunicae eiusdem pars à palati intimo cum lingua praecisa. D.Proximus linguae musculus vel iuxta Falopium ossis hyoidis sextus. E.Secundus eiusdem videlicet linguae musculus. F.Musculus tertius. G.Musculus quartus. Fig.2.H.Caro ex glandulis. I.I.Ligamentum Linguae. Fig.3.K.K.L.L.Linguae substantia musculosa ipsiusque fibrae.
Translation
Page 148. Book V of the Middle Region. Plate XI, describing the tongue and its muscles. Figure 1 denotes the right side of the tongue. A.A.A. Tongue invested with the common lining of the mouth. B.B. A portion of the lining covering the mouth, dissected from the side of the lower jaw. C. A part of the same lining cut from the inner palate with the tongue. D. The nearest muscle of the tongue, or according to Falloppio, the sixth of the hyoid bone. E. The second muscle of the tongue, namely. F. Third muscle. G. Fourth muscle. Fig. 2 H. Flesh from the glands. I.I. Ligament of the tongue. Fig. 3 K.K.L.L. Muscular substance of the tongue and its fibers.
Robert Fludd, 'Utriusque Cosmi maioris scilicet et minoris metaphysica, physica atque technica historia'
This print is a page from Fludd's magnum opus detailing the anatomical and cosmic structure of the human body.
Object
engraving
laid paper
Baroque
German
anatomical
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
584 × 820 px
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview on April 20, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.