On the Art of the Kabbalah

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The bookplate depicts a "pelican in her piety," a mother bird feeding her young with blood from her own breast. While originally a Christian symbol of sacrifice, in alchemical contexts it represents the "multiplication" stage of the Great Work, where the elixir is nourished. The bird perches on a cubic pedestal featuring a coat of arms—a shield with a red saltire (X-shaped cross) and four roses—beneath a radiant sun, signifying enlightenment and successful transformation.