The Proscenium of Truth

N. ix N: 6

17/f

Blue oval stamp with handwritten insertion:
COLLECTION OF
DR. ERNST DARMSTAEDTER
No. 512, 513

A bookplate in the style of a woodcut occupies the center of the page. It features a square frame. Inside, a nude male figure with long, flowing hair stands with his arms raised. He supports the interior of a large circular halo filled with radiating rays of light. To the left of the figure is the word "Sun" original: "SOL". To the right is the astrological symbol for the Sun, a circle with a central dot. Six smaller medallions surround the inner perimeter of the large circle. They contain the symbols for the planets: Saturn at the top left, Jupiter in the middle right, Venus at the bottom right, Mercury at the bottom center, Mars in the middle left, and the Moon at the top right. The initials "I" and "D" appear in the bottom corners. Below the image, the text of the bookplate is printed in a bold typeface.

Ex Libris: A Latin phrase meaning "from the books of," used to indicate ownership.
Ernst Darmstaedter: A famous German historian of science and collector who specialized in alchemy and chemistry.
Friedrich Adolf Ebert: A nineteenth century bibliographer whose works helped catalog rare books.
Planetary symbols: Traditional icons used in alchemy and astrology to represent the seven celestial bodies known in antiquity.
Sol: The Latin name for the Sun, often associated with gold and the vital spirit in alchemical texts.