Splendor Solis - Traité d'Alchimie - Mercure - La reine bleue (Les Sept Flasques)

The figure holds a silver orb and stands upon a crescent moon within a luminous blue atmosphere inside a pear-shaped flask. The neck of the glass container is hermetically sealed by an ornate golden crown, symbolizing the containment of the chemical and spiritual process. This illustration is a central emblem of the purification phase in the transformation of matter.

This plate from the 'Splendor Solis' illustrates the Albedo (whitening) stage of the Great Work, representing the transition from the darkness of Nigredo to the purity of 'philosophical silver.' It reflects the Hermetic concept of the 'Philosopher's Egg,' a sealed microcosm where the soul and body are reunited and cleansed.