The Dream of Poliphilus (1561) - Page 2

This page features a complex marbled paper pattern in shades of red, blue, green, and yellow. This style is known as a peacock or combed pattern. A wide, intricate gold-tooled border with scrolling vine and floral motifs frames the entire page. Two printed labels are pasted onto the center of the page.

FROM THE

LIBRARY OF

CHARLES

FILIPPI

original: "EX LIBRIS". This is a bookplate, a printed label used to identify the owner of a volume.

A circular emblem is printed on a rectangular white card. The emblem shows a pelican in her piety. This is a mother bird pecking her own breast to feed her three chicks with her blood. In Christian and alchemical traditions, this represents self-sacrifice and the path to spiritual perfection. Above the pelican, golden rays of light shine from a blue sky. Below the nest sits a small heraldic shield with three red crosses. A Latin motto surrounds the circle.

HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY

original: "PHILOSOPHIA HERMETICA". Hermetic philosophy refers to a tradition of knowledge attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. It involves alchemy, astrology, and the search for hidden truths in nature.