Shudhur al-dhahab, Islamic Alchemy Manuscript, 12th Century


Stylized illustrations of three alembics with cucurbits occur within the text in a copy of Sharh Shudhur al-dhahab, a commentary by Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Ansari on an alchemical-allegorical set of poems by his teacher Ibn Arfa' Ra's (died 1197). The copy was completed in Jumada I 1123 (March-April 1712) by the copyist Muhammad Sadiq ibn Mustafa al-Antaki al-Istanbuli al-Hanafi. An alembic is an alchemical still consisting of two vessels connected by a tube.


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