SPLENDOR SOLIS

Plate I

This detailed black and white illustration from an alchemical manuscript is set within a decorative border. The border is filled with botanical and animal designs. Flowering vines and seed pods climb the left and right sides. Several birds, including an owl on the left, are perched in the leaves. In the bottom margin, a garden scene features two monkeys. The monkey on the left interacts with a large stork. The monkey on the right sits cross-legged and plays a stringed instrument similar to a lute. A decorative scroll at the top contains the Latin text Arma Artis. The central panel shows two distinct areas. On the left, two men wearing sixteenth century cloaks and caps stand inside a stone archway. On the right, a heraldic display stands against a dark backdrop. This display includes a shield featuring a sun with a human face. Above the shield is a knight's helmet with swirling leaf decorations. A crown sits on the helmet and supports a crescent moon. At the top of the scene, a large Sun in Splendor radiates wavy beams of light.