The Crowning of Nature Engravings

The Crowning of Nature manuscript, which emanates from the late 16th century, is a long series of flasks which shows the alchemical process in great detail. It was so popular that dozens of copies were made over the following two centuries. In the early 18th century this came to the attention of the chemist Johann Conrad Barchusen (1666-1723) and he had copperplate engravings created of the series which he published in his Elementa Chemiae in 1718.

To this section of his book, Barchusen added his description and analysis of the meaning of this series of flasks. Adam McLean has translated this and includes the images from the Barchusen engravings.