tradition

Alchemy

Traditions · Rituals

A family of crafts and speculations about the transformation of materials, never one laboratory or one doctrine.

Meetings in this tradition's context

object · 70

Stained glass is used in Glass.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book II seats colored glass cut and leaded into church windows as the named stained-glass craft of the glassworker. A named stained-glass use of glass in that workshop handbook, not glass as the bare fused element alone and not grisaille paint as the monochrome paint layer alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Blowpipe is used in Glass.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book II seats the hollow iron pipe for gathering and blowing hot glass among glasshouse tools. A named blowpipe in that glass craft, not a pontil holding-iron and not a bellows air-blast.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Pontil is used in Glass.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book II seats the solid or hollow iron that takes the vessel from the blowpipe for finishing and footwork. A named pontil in that glass craft, not the blowpipe gather-and-blow iron alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Lead came is used in Glass.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book II seats the H- or U-section lead strips that bind cut glass pieces into windows. A named lead-came in that stained-glass join craft, not copper-foil later Tiffany seams and not stained-glass as the whole window alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Tempera is used in Workshop.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats pigment bound with egg and related temper for panel and wall painting. A named tempera in that painter’s workshop, not oil-paint as later drying-oil painting and not fresco as wet-lime wall binding alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Gesso is used in Workshop.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats gypsum and chalk grounds prepared for panels and for receiving gold leaf. A named gesso in that painter’s workshop, not plaster as wall stuff alone and not acrylic-gesso as modern primer.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Graver is used in Metal.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats the hand-pushed sharpened steel cutter for engraving metal before niello and ornament. A named graver in that goldsmith craft, not a chasing-hammer and not a burin as the lozenge-tip plate tool alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Burin is used in Metal.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats lozenge- and square-tipped engraving tools among goldsmith cutters continuous with later burin speech. A named burin in that metal-engraving craft, not an etching-needle and not a bare chisel dump.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Chasing hammer is used in Metal.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats light hammers for chasing and punching ornament on goldsmith work held in pitch. A named chasing-hammer in that metal craft, not a raising-hammer for hollow ware and not a planishing-hammer for smoothing alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Pitch bowl is used in Metal.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats the bowl of warmed pitch that holds sheet metal while the goldsmith chases and punches. A named pitch-bowl in that metal craft, not plant pitch as fuel/resin alone and not a bare bowl dump.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Altarpiece is used in Altar.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts teaches painting and metalwork for church furnishings whose painted or sculpted principal images sit on or behind the altar — the path later altarpiece speech still names. A named altarpiece use at the altar, not a reredos architectural screen alone and not a generic icon dump.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Pipe organ is used in Monastery.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats the making of organ pipes and the wind instrument that sounds through ranks of pipes for church and monastic use. A named pipe-organ in that monastery craft neighborhood, not a portative-organ alone and not a free-reed harmonium.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Portative organ is used in Monastery.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III organ craft covers small portable pipe organs continuous with later portative-organ speech. A named portative-organ in that monastic instrument neighborhood, not a full pipe-organ loft and not a regal reed organ alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Paten is used in Chalice.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats the shallow goldsmith plate made with the chalice for Eucharistic bread. A named paten used with the chalice in that vessel set, not a pyx for carrying hosts and not a generic dish.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Crozier is used in Monastery.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats the hooked pastoral staff as goldsmith work for bishops and abbots of monastic and cathedral houses. A named crozier in that monastery craft neighborhood, not a was-sceptre and not a generic stick.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Reliquary is used in Altar.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats containers fashioned by the goldsmith for bodily and contact relics at church altars and treasuries. A named reliquary used at the altar neighborhood, not a monstrance for host display and not a chasse house-casket alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Thurible is used in Incense.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats the swung metal censer fashioned for burning incense in liturgy. A named thurible used with incense, not an incense-boat for holding grains and not a Japanese kōro.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Pyx is used in Altar.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats the small goldsmith container for carrying consecrated hosts from the altar to the sick. A named pyx in that altar-vessel neighborhood, not a ciborium for reserved hosts and not a Greek pyxis cosmetic box.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Chasse is used in Altar.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats house-shaped reliquary caskets among goldsmith church work for altar and treasury. A named chasse in that altar-reliquary neighborhood, not a generic reliquary alone and not a feretory processional shrine alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Hardie is used in Anvil.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the square-shank cutting or forming tool that drops into the anvil’s hardy hole among smith tools. A named hardie in that anvil craft, not the anvil body alone and not a hot-cutter held free of the hole.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Flatter is used in Forge.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the flat-faced smith tool held on stock and struck to smooth surfaces among forge tools. A named flatter in that forge craft, not a set-hammer alone and not a fuller groove tool.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Swage block is used in Forge.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the perforated cast block with hollows for shaping stock under the hammer among forge furniture. A named swage-block in that forge craft, not the anvil alone and not a stake-anvil horn stake.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Leg vise is used in Smithy.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the floor-legged blacksmith vise bolted to a bench with a long leg to the floor among smithy fittings. A named leg-vise in that smithy craft, not a machinist bench vise alone and not a pin-vise.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Box tongs is used in Forge.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats tongs with box jaws that grip square or flat stock among forge tongs. A named box-tongs in that forge craft, not scroll-tongs and not bare fire-tongs.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Scroll tongs is used in Forge.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats tongs with scrolled or offset jaws for ornamental ironwork among forge tongs. A named scroll-tongs in that forge craft, not box-tongs and not generic blacksmith tongs alone.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Cross-peen hammer is used in Forge.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the forging hammer whose peen runs across the handle axis for spreading stock among forge hammers. A named cross-peen-hammer in that forge craft, not a ball-peen-hammer and not a war-hammer.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Ball-peen hammer is used in Metal.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the peening hammer with a hemispherical peen opposite a flat face among metalworker’s hammers. A named ball-peen-hammer in that metal craft, not a cross-peen-hammer and not a claw-hammer.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Set hammer is used in Forge.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the handled flatter struck by a sledge to set and smooth hot iron among forge tools. A named set-hammer in that forge craft, not a hand flatter alone and not a fuller.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Fuller is used in Forge.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the rounded grooving tool struck or set to neck and spread hot iron among forge tools. A named fuller in that forge craft, not fullers-earth and not a flatter.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Raising hammer is used in Metal.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the cross-peened hammer for raising sheet into hollow vessels over a stake among sheet-metal tools. A named raising-hammer in that metal craft, not a planishing-hammer and not a chasing-hammer.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Planishing hammer is used in Metal.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the polished-face hammer for smoothing raised sheet metal among sheet-metal tools. A named planishing-hammer in that metal craft, not a raising-hammer and not a flatter.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Power hammer is used in Forge.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats mechanically powered forging hammers of later shop practice among forge machines. A named power-hammer in that forge craft, not a steam-hammer alone and not a trip-hammer water-helve.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Steam hammer is used in Steam.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the vertically guided forging hammer driven by steam among steam-shop machines. A named steam-hammer in that steam craft, not a trip-hammer and not a generic power-hammer dump alone.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Rolling mill is used in Metal.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats pairs or trains of rolls that reduce and shape metal stock among mill machines. A named rolling-mill in that metal craft, not a drawplate and not a stamp-mill ore battery.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Puddling furnace is used in Iron.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the reverberatory hearth for puddling pig iron into wrought iron among ironworks furnaces. A named puddling-furnace in that iron craft, not a finery and not a bare reverberatory-furnace dump alone.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Drift is used in Forge.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the tapered punch driven through hot iron to open and size holes among forge punches. A named drift in that forge craft, not a mine level and not a center-punch cold mark alone.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Froe is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the blade for splitting wood along the grain with a mallet among woodworking tools. A named froe in that workshop craft, not an adze and not a broadaxe.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Drawknife is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the two-handled blade pulled toward the body to shave wood along the grain among woodworking tools. A named drawknife in that workshop craft, not a spokeshave and not a crooked-knife northern form alone.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Spokeshave is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the short-soled shave for curves on spokes, chair parts, and similar work among woodworking tools. A named spokeshave in that workshop craft, not a drawknife and not a bench plane alone.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Smoothing plane is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the short bench plane for final surface smoothing among woodworking planes. A named smoothing-plane in that workshop craft, not a jack-plane and not a block-plane.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Jack plane is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the mid-length bench plane for rough stock removal among woodworking planes. A named jack-plane in that workshop craft, not a smoothing-plane and not a block-plane.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Block plane is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the small bevel-up plane for end grain and one-handed trimming among woodworking planes. A named block-plane in that workshop craft, not a jack-plane and not a smoothing-plane.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Try square is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the fixed-blade square for checking and marking right angles in woodwork among layout tools. A named try-square in that workshop craft, not a combination-square and not a framing square alone.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Sliding bevel is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the adjustable bevel gauge that locks an angle for transfer and layout among woodworking tools. A named sliding-bevel in that workshop craft, not a try-square and not a combination-square alone.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Marking gauge is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the woodworker’s fence-and-pin tool for scribing a line parallel to an edge among layout tools. A named marking-gauge in that workshop craft, not a mortise-gauge and not a try-square.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Mortise gauge is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the double-pin marking gauge for laying out mortise and tenon widths among layout tools. A named mortise-gauge in that workshop craft, not a marking-gauge alone and not a try-square.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Gimlet is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the small screw-tipped hand boring tool for starter holes among woodworking tools. A named gimlet in that workshop craft, not an auger and not a bit-brace.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Bit brace is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the cranked brace for turning auger bits by hand among woodworking tools. A named bit-brace in that workshop craft, not a gimlet alone and not a pump-drill.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Holdfast is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the shafted dog that wedges in a bench hole to clamp work among bench fittings. A named holdfast in that workshop craft, not a leg-vise and not a bare clamp dump.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Hand saw is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the open-handled carpenter’s saw for ripping or crosscutting timber among woodworking saws. A named hand-saw in that workshop craft, not a tenon-saw and not a dovetail-saw.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Tenon saw is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the backed saw for cutting tenons and joinery among woodworking saws. A named tenon-saw in that workshop craft, not a dovetail-saw and not a hand-saw.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Dovetail saw is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the fine backed saw for dovetail joinery among woodworking saws. A named dovetail-saw in that workshop craft, not a tenon-saw and not a hand-saw.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Claw hammer is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the carpenter’s hammer with a striking face and a split claw for drawing nails among woodworking hammers. A named claw-hammer in that workshop craft, not a framing-hammer alone and not a ball-peen-hammer.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Micrometer is used in Metal.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the screw-driven precision caliper for fine thickness and diameter among metalworker’s gauges. A named micrometer in that metal craft, not a vernier-caliper alone and not a wire-gauge.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Vernier caliper is used in Metal.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the sliding caliper with a vernier scale for inside, outside, and depth reads among metalworker’s gauges. A named vernier-caliper in that metal craft, not a micrometer alone and not outside-calipers alone.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Spirit level is used in Stone.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the sealed vial of liquid and bubble for finding level surfaces in building and survey among leveling instruments. A named spirit-level in that stone-and-building layout craft, not a dumpy-level telescope instrument and not a water-level hose alone.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Feeler gauge is used in Metal.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the set of thin graduated leaves for measuring narrow gaps and clearances among metalworker’s gauges. A named feeler-gauge in that metal craft, not a wire-gauge and not a depth-gauge.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Wire gauge is used in Steel.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the plate or disc with graduated slots for checking wire and sheet thickness among shop gauges. A named wire-gauge in that steel-and-wire craft, not a feeler-gauge and not a micrometer alone.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Surface plate is used in Metal.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the precision flat reference plate for layout and gauging among metalworker’s surface tools. A named surface-plate in that metal craft, not a height-gauge alone and not a carpenter’s square.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Combination square is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the multi-head square with sliding rule for angles, depth, and level checks among layout tools. A named combination-square in that workshop craft, not a try-square alone and not a speed-square later triangular form.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Power loom is used in Loom.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the mechanically powered weaving loom of later mill practice among textile machines. A named power-loom in that loom craft, not a handloom alone and not a flying-shuttle alone.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Jacquard loom is used in Loom.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the loom controlled by punched cards that select individual warps for complex cloth among textile machines. A named jacquard-loom in that loom craft, not a drawloom alone and not a dobby-loom.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Flying shuttle is used in Loom.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the weft carrier thrown across a wide loom by cords or a picker among weaving tools. A named flying-shuttle in that loom craft, not a boat-shuttle alone and not a power-loom as the whole machine.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Sewing machine is used in Workshop.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the mechanical stitcher that forms lockstitch or chainstitch in cloth among workshop machines. A named sewing-machine in that workshop craft, not a hand needle alone and not a loom.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Overshot wheel is used in Water.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the waterwheel filled from above so water turns it by weight among mill wheels. A named overshot-wheel in that water-power craft, not an undershot-wheel and not a breastshot-wheel.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Undershot wheel is used in Water.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the waterwheel turned by a stream striking the lower paddles among mill wheels. A named undershot-wheel in that water-power craft, not an overshot-wheel and not a breastshot-wheel.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Albion press is used in Book.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the iron hand press with a toggle or knuckle action for letterpress work among printing machines. A named albion-press in that book-printing craft, not a Columbian eagle press and not a Washington press.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Suction pump is used in Water.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the pump that lifts water by creating a partial vacuum above a column among hydraulic machines. A named suction-pump in that water craft, not a force-pump pressure delivery alone and not a chain-pump.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented
Distemper is used in Glue.
Merrifield’s distempering notes (including Jacobus de Tholeto colour tempering) seat glue- and size-bound wall and panel colour among tempera-family media. A named distemper used with glue size craft, not buon-fresco as wet-lime binding and not casein as milk binder alone.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
used in · sourced · documented
Alkahest is historically related to Mercury (metal).
Ruland’s Lexicon seats ALCAHEST as prepared Mercury (some say tartar), with ALCAHESTI as mercury prepared as a medicine. A named alkahest in that universal-dissolvent neighborhood, not bare metallic quicksilver identity alone, and not the Catholic magisterium dump.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
historically related to · sourced · documented

color · 38

Gold is connected to Silver.
Sun-and-moon metal-speech in later alchemy pairs gold and silver. The pairing is a laboratory idiom.
connected to · interpretive · culturally specific
Zaffre is used in Glass.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts seats roasted cobalt matter and glass-blue intermediates that color melts and later feed smalt. A named zaffre in that glass-coloring craft, not smalt as the finished powder alone and not cobalt-blue as later pure oxide paint.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Enamel Glass is used in Glass.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts seats soft colored glasses prepared for painting and fusing as enamel on vessels and metal. A named enamel-glass in that glass/enamel craft, not stained-glass as the leaded window alone and not overglaze-enamel as porcelain china-paint.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Cobalt Glass is used in Glass.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts seats deep blue glass colored by cobalt among furnace colors for vessels, cullet, and enamel feedstock. A named cobalt-glass in that glass craft, not cobalt-blue painting pigment alone and not underglaze-blue ceramic cobalt.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Ultramarine ash is used in Workshop.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I lapis-blue work leaves pale residual ash blues that cheaper workshop blues still use. A named ultramarine-ash continuity beside full ultramarine, not smalt as cobalt-glass blue and not bare chalk gray.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Brazilwood is used in Dye.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats brasilium / brazil heartwood among red dye and lake materials for painter and dyer. A named brazilwood in that dye craft, not logwood and not brazilin as the isolated modern principle name alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Vine black is used in Workshop.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats soft blacks from charred grapevine and similar shoots among painter’s carbon blacks. A named vine-black in that pigment craft, not bone-black and not lampblack soot alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Bone black is used in Workshop.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats warm blacks from charred bone among panel pigments. A named bone-black in that pigment craft, not vine-black and not ivory-black as a trade synonym dump alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Lead–tin yellow is used in Workshop.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats lead-tin yellow oxide mixes among stable workshop yellows continuous with later lead-tin-yellow speech. A named lead-tin-yellow in that pigment craft, not naples-yellow and not massicot alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Flake white is used in Workshop.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats white lead prepared in flakes and cakes among painter’s whites — the path later flake-white speech still names. A named flake-white continuity in that pigment craft, not chalk-white and not zinc-white modern.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Shell gold is used in Gold.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats powdered gold bound for brushwork and kept in shells among manuscript and miniature golds. A named shell-gold use of gold, not gold-leaf sheets and not mosaic-gold tin sulfide pigment.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Brazilwood lake is historically related to Brazilwood.
Merrifield’s Bolognese manuscript seats lake and pavonazo colours from verzino / Brasilio among red lakes prepared from brazil heartwood. A named brazilwood-lake historically related to brazilwood, not brazilwood as the dyewood alone and not synthetic alizarin crimson.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Kermes lake is historically related to Kermes.
Merrifield’s treatises and introduction seat red lakes from kermes / grana among the animal lakes of Italian painters. A named kermes-lake historically related to kermes, not cochineal as the later New-World scale alone and not lac-lake as gum-lac lake.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Lac lake is historically related to Lake.
Merrifield’s treatises seat lacca / lac lake among the animal red lakes prepared from gum lac for panel and miniature colour. A named lac-lake historically related to lake as the pigment class, not shellac as the varnish resin alone and not kermes-lake.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Madder lake is historically related to Madder.
Merrifield’s painting treatises and notes seat madder among vegetable reds prepared as lake for painters — continuous with rose-madder speech without synthetic alizarin. A named madder-lake historically related to madder, not alizarin as the later coal-tar isolate and not brazilwood-lake.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Weld lake is historically related to Weld.
Merrifield’s colour recipes seat yellow lakes from weld and kindred yellow dyestuffs among painter’s transparent yellows. A named weld-lake historically related to weld, not gamboge as the Asian gum-resin yellow alone and not chrome-yellow modern.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Yellow lake is historically related to Lake.
Merrifield’s treatises seat yellow lake colours among the transparent organic yellows prepared on a substrate for tempera and oil. A named yellow-lake historically related to lake, not naples-yellow as the lead-antimony opaque yellow and not arylide/hansa modern organics.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Rose lake is historically related to Lake.
Merrifield’s lake chapters seat rose and pavonazo lake tints among the red-lake family for flesh and drapery. A named rose-lake historically related to lake, not rose-madder as the madder grade alone and not quinacridone modern rose.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Burnt sienna is historically related to Sienna.
Merrifield’s treatises and pigment notes seat burned sienna earth among the calcined warm browns continuous with terra di Siena speech. A named burnt-sienna historically related to sienna, not raw-sienna and not burnt-umber as the cooler dark earth.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Raw sienna is historically related to Sienna.
Merrifield’s painting materials seat raw sienna earth among the natural yellow-brown iron earths before calcination. A named raw-sienna historically related to sienna, not burnt-sienna and not yellow-ochre as the lighter ochre alone.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Burnt umber is historically related to Umber.
Merrifield’s pigment notes seat burned umber among the calcined dark brown earths of the painter’s palette. A named burnt-umber historically related to umber, not raw-umber and not burnt-sienna as the warmer calcined earth.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Raw umber is historically related to Umber.
Merrifield’s treatises seat raw umber among the natural cool brown manganese-iron earths before burning. A named raw-umber historically related to umber, not burnt-umber and not vandyke-brown as the bituminous brown alone.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Brown ochre is historically related to Ochre.
Merrifield’s earth-colour notes seat brown ochre among the darker iron-earth ochres of panel and wall recipes. A named brown-ochre historically related to ochre, not gold-ochre as the yellower grade and not umber as the manganese brown.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Gold ochre is historically related to Ochre.
Merrifield’s pigment speech seats gold ochre among the warm yellow iron-earth ochres used for flesh and drapery. A named gold-ochre historically related to ochre, not brown-ochre and not orpiment as the arsenic yellow.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Roman ochre is historically related to Ochre.
Merrifield’s European earth notes seat Roman ochre among the warm ochre trade grades named in later workshop speech continuous with Italian earths. A named roman-ochre historically related to ochre, not oxford-ochre as the English grade alone and not sinopia as the classical red-earth name dump.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Venetian red is used in Red.
Merrifield’s treatises and colour notes seat Venetian red among the iron-oxide reds of Italian workshop speech for oil and tempera. A named venetian-red used in red pigment craft, not indian-red as the deeper oxide grade alone and not cinnabar as mercury red.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
used in · sourced · documented
Indian red is historically related to Hematite.
Merrifield’s pigment notes seat Indian red among the deep iron-oxide reds continuous with hematite earth speech in European painting. A named indian-red historically related to hematite, not venetian-red as the lighter Italian oxide and not mars-red as later artificial oxide.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Distilled verdigris is historically related to Verdigris.
Merrifield’s Bolognese green chapters seat distilled and purified verdigris among the copper-acetate greens prepared for painting. A named distilled-verdigris historically related to verdigris, not raw verdigris crust alone and not malachite as the carbonate green.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Copper resinate is historically related to Verdigris.
Merrifield’s oil and glaze notes seat copper greens dissolved in resin and oil — the transparent copper-resinate path of early modern painting. A named copper-resinate historically related to verdigris copper green, not malachite opaque green and not phthalocyanine modern.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Verditer is historically related to Copper.
Merrifield’s artificial azure and green chapters seat verditer among the precipitated copper blues and greens of workshop recipes. A named verditer historically related to copper, not azurite as the natural carbonate and not french-ultramarine synthetic.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Mountain blue is historically related to Azurite.
Merrifield’s Bolognese natural-azure book seats mountain / German / Spanish azures continuous with azzurro della magna — mountain-blue speech for natural copper carbonate blue. A named mountain-blue historically related to azurite, not ultramarine as lapis blue and not verditer as precipitated copper.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Spanish green is historically related to Verdigris.
Merrifield’s green recipes seat Spanish green among the copper-green names of medieval–early-modern painting speech continuous with verdigris. A named spanish-green historically related to verdigris, not malachite and not sap-green as the plant juice green.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Gamboge is used in Resin.
Merrifield’s Paduan notes seat gamboge prepared with lemon-juice and alum among early-modern yellow pigments — a gum-resin colour of the later MSS. A named gamboge used as resin colour in painting, not weld-lake as the European dyestuff lake and not cadmium-yellow modern.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
used in · sourced · documented
Naples yellow is historically related to Lead.
Merrifield’s yellow pigment notes seat Naples yellow among lead-antimony opaque yellows of early-modern palettes continuous with giallorino speech. A named naples-yellow historically related to lead, not lead-tin-yellow as the earlier tin-lead yellow Theophilus seated and not cadmium-yellow.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Mosaic gold is historically related to Tin.
Merrifield’s Bolognese Cap. VI seats porporino / mosaic gold — tin sulfide imitation gold — among artificial gold colours for painting and gilding. A named mosaic-gold historically related to tin, not gold-leaf as true leaf and not mannheim-gold brass dump.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Bistre is historically related to Charcoal.
Merrifield’s brown wash and ink notes seat bistre — soot-brown from burned wood — among historical transparent browns for drawing and painting. A named bistre historically related to charcoal/soot browns, not bitumen asphalt glaze alone and not sepia as cuttle ink.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Chalk white is historically related to Chalk.
Merrifield’s white-pigment notes seat white chalk among inert whites and extenders in tempera and oil recipes. A named chalk-white historically related to chalk, not flake-white as lead white and not zinc-white modern.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Caput mortuum is historically related to Ash.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats Caput Mortuum as feces / death’s-head residuum left after distillation or sublimation — the earthy remainder of the work. A named caput-mortuum in that residuum speech, not colcothar as fixed vitriol alone, and not a skull emblem dump.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
historically related to · sourced · documented

element · 32

Water is associated with Transformation.
Alchemical work uses dissolution. Water here is a solvent in a craft, not Utnapishtim’s flood.
from Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet), medieval Latin tradition (Arabic antecedents)
associated with · partially sourced · culturally specific
Fire is associated with Transformation.
Alchemy cooks. The fire of the work is a controlled heat for changing materials, not Agni’s hymn.
from Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet), medieval Latin tradition (Arabic antecedents)
associated with · partially sourced · culturally specific
Fire is associated with Gold.
Alchemical fire is the means by which, in the craft’s own claim, base stuff is worked toward gold. The claim is the tradition’s, not a chemical proof.
from Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet), medieval Latin tradition (Arabic antecedents)
associated with · partially sourced · culturally specific
Sulfur is connected to Salt.
Later alchemical schemes pair sulfur and salt among the principles of matter. The pair is a craft diagram.
connected to · interpretive · culturally specific
Silver is associated with Moon.
Later alchemy and jewelry-speech pair silver with the moon. The pairing is a craft and market convention, not Thoth’s lunar office.
associated with · interpretive · culturally specific
Mercury (metal) is historically related to Planet Mercury.
Alchemists and astrologers used the same name for the liquid metal and the innermost wanderer. The metal is not the light in the sky.
from Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet), medieval Latin tradition (Arabic antecedents); Ge Hong; James R. Ware (translation) · The Nei P’ien of Ko Hung, 1966 (this translation); Ge Hong 4th century CE
historically related to · sourced · culturally specific
Mercury (metal) is associated with Transformation.
Alchemical crafts claim to transform mercury. The metal’s liquidity invited that claim; it is not the planet’s orbit.
from Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet), medieval Latin tradition (Arabic antecedents); Ge Hong; James R. Ware (translation) · The Nei P’ien of Ko Hung, 1966 (this translation); Ge Hong 4th century CE
associated with · sourced · documented
Soda ash is used in Glass.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book II seats plant-ash alkali fluxes that soften silica into glass, the workshop ancestry later soda-ash speech still names. A named soda-ash continuity in that glass-batch craft, not washing-soda hydrate and not baking-soda kitchen salt.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Smalt is used in Glass.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts seats cobalt-colored glass among furnace blues that painters later grind as smalt. A named smalt use continuous with that glass-blue pigment path, not ultramarine as lapis blue and not prussian-blue as later iron blue.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Size is used in Workshop.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats dilute glue and related washes for sealing grounds and for gilding size coats. A named size in that painter’s workshop, not glue as strong adhesive alone and not parchment-size as skin size alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Egg tempera binder is used in Workshop.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats egg yolk and whole-egg binders that temper pigment for panel painting. A named egg-tempera-binder in that tempera craft, not tempera as the finished medium name alone and not milk casein binders.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Glue size binder is used in Workshop.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats glue size used as a painting and gilding binder beside the dilute size wash. A named glue-size-binder in that workshop, not size as the bare dilute wash alone and not gold-size as gilding tack alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Fish glue is used in Workshop.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats glues boiled from fish parts among binders for grounds, joins, and size. A named fish-glue in that workshop, not isinglass as clarifying gelatine alone and not hide-glue as skin glue alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Ultramarine is used in Workshop.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats deep blue prepared from lapis lazuli among precious painter’s blues — the workshop path later ultramarine speech still names. A named ultramarine continuity in that pigment craft, not azurite copper blue and not french-ultramarine synthetic grade.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Gold size is used in Gold leaf.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats tacky size coats prepared for laying beaten gold leaf. A named gold-size used with gold-leaf in that gilding craft, not oil-size as general oily size alone and not gold-leaf as the metal sheet alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Oil size is used in Gold leaf.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats oily size for mordant gilding and sealing beside water-bole work. A named oil-size used with gold-leaf in that gilding craft, not gold-size as the dedicated tack size alone and not japan-size modern trade grade.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Niello is used in Metal.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats the black silver-sulfide inlay mass rubbed into engraved lines on silver and related metals. A named niello in that goldsmith craft, not enamel fused glass alone and not patina as surface film alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Hard solder is used in Metal.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats higher-melting brass and silver joins for goldsmith seams. A named hard-solder in that metal craft, not soft-solder tin-lead and not the vague solder class alone already walked under Agricola.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Soft solder is used in Metal.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats low-melting tin-lead joins for seams that must not take hard-solder heat. A named soft-solder in that metal craft, not hard-solder and not silver-solder.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Silver solder is used in Metal.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats silver-bearing hard joins for jewelry and pipe seams among goldsmith solders. A named silver-solder in that metal craft, not soft-solder and not pure silver stock alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Casting wax is used in Metal.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats wax models and wax preparations for casting metalwork and bells. A named casting-wax in that metal craft, not beeswax-polish furniture wax and not lost-wax-medium as the whole process name alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Lost wax medium is used in Metal.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book III seats lost-wax casting of metal figures and vessels continuous with later lost-wax-medium speech. A named lost-wax-medium in that metal craft, not casting-wax as the wax stock alone and not ceramic casting-slip.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Oil varnish is used in Oil.
Merrifield’s treatises seat oil varnishes — resins dissolved in drying oil — among the finishes and painting media of medieval–early-modern recipes. A named oil-varnish used in oil craft, not spirit-varnish as alcohol/turpentine resin solution and not picture-varnish as the later finishing grade name alone.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
used in · sourced · documented
Spirit varnish is used in Resin.
Merrifield’s later MSS notes seat spirit varnishes — sandarac, mastic, and kindred resins in spirit of wine or turpentine — among essential-oil and spirit finishes. A named spirit-varnish used with resin, not oil-varnish as oil-cooked resin and not white-spirit modern petroleum diluent.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
used in · sourced · documented
Gum sandarac is historically related to Sandarac.
Merrifield’s varnish recipes seat gum sandarac among the hard spirit-varnish resins continuous with sandarac speech. A named gum-sandarac historically related to sandarac, not Theophilus’s sandarac resin row alone as a twin dump and not damar.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Venice turpentine is historically related to Turpentine.
Merrifield’s oil and varnish notes seat Venice turpentine (olio di abezzo / larch balsam) among the soft balsams of early-modern painting media. A named venice-turpentine historically related to turpentine, not rectified-turpentine as distilled spirit alone and not burgundy-pitch.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Copal varnish is historically related to Copal.
Merrifield’s varnish survey seats copal among the hard resins cooked into oil varnishes in later treatise speech she edits. A named copal-varnish historically related to copal, not amber-varnish and not damar soft varnish.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Asphalt varnish is historically related to Asphalt.
Merrifield’s dark-medium notes seat asphalt / bitumen dissolved as varnish and glaze among early-modern brown transparent media. A named asphalt-varnish historically related to asphalt, not asphaltum-japan coach finish alone and not vandyke-brown earth dump.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Azoth is historically related to Mercury (metal).
Ruland’s Lexicon seats AZOTH as quicksilver drawn out of any metallic body — properly corporeal Mercury — and as living mercury of the work. A named azoth in that mercury-arcana speech, not alkahest as prepared mercury alone, and not elixir as the medicine.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
historically related to · sourced · documented
Colcothar is historically related to Vitriol.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats Colcothar as fixed vitriol and as red oil of vitriol (OLEUM COLCOTHARINUM), among atrament and vitriol species. A named colcothar in that vitriol-residue speech, not caput-mortuum as generic feces alone, and not bare iron rust identity.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
historically related to · sourced · documented
Distilled water is historically related to Water.
Ruland’s Lexicon distinguishes simple distilled water from solvent / corrosive waters among chemist waters condensed after distillation. A named distilled-water in that aqueous-arcanum speech, not spirit of wine, and not oil of vitriol.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
historically related to · sourced · documented

Late antiquity

Mercury (metal) is historically related to Hermes.
Latin and later alchemical diction names quicksilver after Mercury/Hermes. The hymn’s cattle-thief is not a flask of metal.
from Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet), medieval Latin tradition (Arabic antecedents)
historically related to · sourced · culturally specific

material · 23

Enamel Frit is used in Glass.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts seats milled glass frit as the base for enamel colors on metal and glass. A named enamel-frit in that enamel craft, not ceramic-frit glaze batches alone and not enamel-glass as the colored glass lemma alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Sandarac is used in Resin.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats sandarac resin among spirit varnishes and manuscript media. A named sandarac use of resin in that workshop, not damar and not mastic as the mastic-tree resin alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Oil Gilding is used in Gold leaf.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats laying leaf on oil or mordant size for exterior and quick gold work. A named oil-gilding finish on gold-leaf, not water-gilding as burnish bole work and not fire-gilding as mercury amalgam already walked under Pliny.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Water Gilding is used in Gold leaf.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats laying leaf on wet bole and size so the gold can be burnished bright. A named water-gilding finish on gold-leaf, not oil-gilding as mordant leaf alone and not gold-leaf as the sheet alone.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Mordant Gilding is used in Gold leaf.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats sticking leaf to a tacky mordant or size coat rather than wet bole burnish. A named mordant-gilding finish on gold-leaf, not oil-gilding as one mordant family alone and not water-gilding.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Shell Silver is used in Silver.
Theophilus’s On Divers Arts Book I seats powdered silver in gum kept in a shell for manuscript and miniature work. A named shell-silver use of silver, not shell-gold as powdered gold paint and not silver-leaf as beaten leaf.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
used in · sourced · documented
Gesso Grosso is historically related to Gesso.
Merrifield’s Original Treatises seat gesso grosso among the coarse gypsum grounds of Italian panel recipes continuous with Cennini-neighborhood speech the MSS preserve. A named gesso-grosso grade in that painting-treatise craft, not gesso as the generic ground alone and not acrylic-gesso as modern primer.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Gesso Sottile is historically related to Gesso.
Merrifield’s Original Treatises seat gesso sottile among the fine levigated gypsum grounds laid over coarser coats in Italian panel recipes. A named gesso-sottile grade in that painting-treatise craft, not gesso-grosso as the coarse undercoat and not acrylic-gesso.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
French bole is used in Gold leaf.
Merrifield’s Original Treatises seat bole grades under burnish water-gilding for laying gold leaf in the Italian and later workshop recipes she edits. A named french-bole trade earth used with gold-leaf, not italian-bole alone and not oil-gilding mordant without bole.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
used in · sourced · documented
Italian bole is used in Gold leaf.
Merrifield’s Original Treatises seat Italian bole among the red clay grounds for burnish water-gilding under gold leaf in the panel recipes. A named italian-bole used with gold-leaf, not french-bole as the northern trade grade alone and not gold-size as oily mordant alone.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
used in · sourced · documented
Amber Varnish is historically related to Amber.
Merrifield’s introduction and varnish chapters seat hard amber (carabe) varnishes boiled with oil among the older picture varnishes of the MSS. A named amber-varnish historically related to amber, not damar as later soft East-Indian resin and not sandarac spirit varnish alone.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Picture Varnish is used in Resin.
Merrifield’s chapters On Varnishing Pictures seat finishing varnishes over completed paintings among resin and oil finishes. A named picture-varnish used with resin craft, not retouching-varnish as interim modern studio coat and not stopping-out etching ground.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
used in · sourced · documented
Boiled Linseed Oil is used in Oil.
Merrifield’s oils chapters seat boiled linseed oil (olio cotto) among the drying oils prepared with heat and dryers for paint and varnish. A named boiled-linseed-oil used in oil painting craft, not cold-pressed-linseed as the raw oil and not stand-oil as later polymerized industrial oil alone.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
used in · sourced · documented
Cold-Pressed Linseed is historically related to Flax.
Merrifield’s oil-purification notes seat cold-drawn linseed oil from flax seed among the painters’ drying oils before boiling. A named cold-pressed-linseed historically related to flax, not boiled-linseed-oil and not poppy-oil as the slower-drying seed oil.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Poppy Oil is historically related to Poppy.
Merrifield’s oil chapters seat poppy-seed oil among the slow-drying painters’ oils of early-modern recipes. A named poppy-oil historically related to poppy, not linseed oil as the faster dryer and not safflower-oil modern substitute.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Sun-Thickened Oil is used in Oil.
Merrifield’s drying-oil notes seat oils thickened in the sun among historical bodying methods for paint and varnish before industrial stand oil. A named sun-thickened-oil used in oil craft, not stand-oil as kettle-polymerized later oil and not black-oil as lead-treated oil alone.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
used in · sourced · documented
Buon Fresco is historically related to Fresco.
Merrifield’s wall-painting notes and Italian recipes seat true fresco — pigment on wet lime — among mural techniques the treatises distinguish. A named buon-fresco historically related to fresco, not fresco-secco as painting on dry plaster and not mezzo-fresco as intermediate set.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Fresco Secco is historically related to Fresco.
Merrifield’s mural notes seat secco painting on dry plaster among wall techniques beside true fresco. A named fresco-secco historically related to fresco, not buon-fresco as wet-lime binding and not distemper as glue-bound wall colour alone.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Intonaco is used in Fresco.
Merrifield’s Italian wall recipes seat intonaco — the fine finish plaster coat that receives buon fresco — among fresco ground layers. A named intonaco used in fresco craft, not arriccio as the rough undercoat and not gesso as panel ground.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
used in · sourced · documented
Arriccio is used in Lime.
Merrifield’s fresco-layer speech seats arriccio — the coarse lime-sand undercoat — beneath intonaco in Italian mural practice. A named arriccio used with lime plaster craft, not intonaco as the fine finish coat and not gesso-grosso as panel gypsum.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
used in · sourced · documented
Tempera Grassa is historically related to Tempera.
Merrifield’s tempera and oil-transition notes seat tempera grassa — egg tempera enriched with oil — among Italian mixed techniques. A named tempera-grassa historically related to tempera, not oil-paint as pure drying-oil painting and not egg-tempera-binder as the binder alone.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
historically related to · sourced · documented
Oil Paint is used in Oil.
Merrifield’s Original Treatises are expressly on painting in oil among other arts — pigment ground in drying oil as the oil-paint medium the MSS teach. A named oil-paint used in oil craft, not tempera as egg medium and not acrylic modern emulsion.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
used in · sourced · documented
Imprimatura is used in Workshop.
Merrifield’s oil-ground and colouring notes seat thin coloured imprimatura coats over the ground as the first painting layer in workshop practice. A named imprimatura used in the painter’s workshop, not underpainting-white as opaque underpaint alone and not verdaccio as green under-modelling alone.
from Mary Philadelphia Merrifield · Original Treatises on the Arts of Painting, 1849
used in · sourced · documented

symbol · 20

Alchemical mercury represents Mercury (metal).
Ruland’s Lexicon seats MERCURIUS among the three principles and as quicksilver / corporeal mercury of chemists. A named alchemical-mercury sign in that principle speech, not mercury-mark as the planetary emblem twin alone, and not sulfur or salt of the triad.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
represents · sourced · documented
Alchemical salt represents Salt.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats Salt beside Sulphur and Mercury as one of the three principles in which the property of things is composed. A named alchemical-salt sign in that triad speech, not pantry salt alone, and not mercury or sulfur of the triad.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
represents · sourced · documented
Alchemical sulfur represents Sulfur.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats Sulphur beside Mercury and Salt as one of the three principles, and names sulphur among chemist metals and arcana. A named alchemical-sulfur sign in that triad speech, not brimstone sermon alone, and not mercury or salt of the triad.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
represents · sourced · documented
Alembic mark is historically related to Alembic.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats ALEMBICUS (capitellum / helmet) as the vessel set over the retort to receive and collect vapours, beaked or beakless. A named alembic-mark in that still-head speech, not a retort, not an athanor, and not a crucible.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
historically related to · sourced · documented
Antimony mark represents Antimony.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats ANTIMONIUM (alkofol / stibium) among chemist stones and preparations of the antimony family. A named antimony-mark in that chemist-sign speech, not arsenic, and not a heraldic charge dump.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
represents · sourced · documented
Arsenic mark represents Arsenic.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats ARSENICUM among chemist nitres and metallic salts, with white, yellow, and citrine species. A named arsenic-mark in that chemist-sign speech, not antimony, and not a poison-label dump alone.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
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Athanor mark is historically related to Kiln.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats ATHANOR as the philosophical oven adapted for composing the stone, with turret, coals, and equable heat. A named athanor-mark in that digesting-furnace speech, not an alembic or retort vessel, and not a crucible melting pot; published furnace id is absent, so kiln is the nearest published oven hub.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
historically related to · sourced · documented
Calcination mark is used in Fire.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats CALCINATIO as combustion in strong heat and solution of coagulated matters into calx, including ignition and reverberatory calcination. A named calcination-mark in that fire-operation speech, not dissolution, not sublimation, and not putrefaction.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
used in · sourced · documented
Copper mark represents Copper.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats CUPRUM as Copper, Venus, among chemist metals. A named copper-mark in that planetary-metal sign speech, not gold or silver marks, and not a heraldic Venus being dump.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
represents · sourced · documented
Crucible mark is historically related to Crucible.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats CRUCIBULUM as a melting vessel of fire-proof earth, narrow-based and used for liquefying metals (with cupel as a related species). A named crucible-mark in that melting-pot speech, not an alembic still-head, not a retort, and not an athanor oven.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
historically related to · sourced · documented
Gold mark represents Gold.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats AURUM as Gold, called Sol by chemists and dedicated to the Sun. A named gold-mark in that Sol/planetary-metal sign speech, not silver-mark Luna, and not sun as the sky body alone without the metal sign.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
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Hermetic seal mark is used in Glass.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats SIGILLUM HERMETIS as melting the mouth of the glass by coal fire so it is sealed — the Seal of Hermes — with glass-stopper and vessel speech. A named hermetic-seal-mark in that closed-vessel seal speech, not a guild or civic seal, and not seal-of-solomon.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
used in · sourced · documented
Iron mark represents Iron.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats FERRUM as Iron among chemist metals. A named iron-mark in that Mars/planetary-metal sign speech, not copper Venus or lead Saturn marks, and not a heraldic Mars being dump.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
represents · sourced · documented
Lead mark represents Lead.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats lead among Hermetic equivalents (Plumbum / Saturn) and chemist metals. A named lead-mark in that Saturn/planetary-metal sign speech, not tin Jupiter or iron Mars marks, and not a heraldic Saturn being dump.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
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Mercury mark represents Mercury (metal).
Ruland’s Lexicon seats MERCURIUS as quicksilver and chemist mercury among the three principles. A named mercury-mark in that chemist Mercury-sign speech, not alchemical-mercury as the triad-principle symbol twin alone, and not sulfur or salt.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
represents · sourced · documented
Phoenix (alchemical) represents Fire.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats PHOENIX as the Quintessence of Fire, or the illustrious philosophic stone (also FOENIX as son of one day / stone). A named phoenix-alchemical in that fire-stone emblem speech, not phoenix-emblem heraldry, and not published phoenix the bird alone.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
represents · sourced · documented
Retort mark is historically related to Retort.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats RETORTA as a globular vessel with a small neck issuing from the body and bent into an oblong pipe. A named retort-mark in that bent-neck distillation speech, not an alembic head, not a crucible, and not an athanor.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
historically related to · sourced · documented
Silver mark represents Silver.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats ARGENTUM as the Luna of chemists, the metal ranked next after gold. A named silver-mark in that Luna/planetary-metal sign speech, not gold-mark Sol, and not moon as the sky body alone without the metal sign.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
represents · sourced · documented
Tin mark represents Tin.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats STANNUM as Tin among chemist metals. A named tin-mark in that Jupiter/planetary-metal sign speech, not lead Saturn or iron Mars marks, and not a heraldic Jupiter being dump.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
represents · sourced · documented
Vitriol mark represents Vitriol.
Ruland’s Lexicon seats VITRIOL among green of the philosophers, red colcothar, and metallic vitriols as salts of metals, with long atrament species lists. A named vitriol-mark in that vitriol-sign speech, not oil-of-vitriol liquor alone, and not the Visita Interiora acrostic motto dump.
from Martin Ruland the Elder · Lexicon Alchemiae, 1612
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celestial-body · 4

Sun is associated with Gold.
Latin alchemy often marks gold with the sun. The metal and the star are made to stand for each other in a laboratory idiom, not in every gold-using culture.
from Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet), medieval Latin tradition (Arabic antecedents)
associated with · sourced · culturally specific
Sun is associated with Fire.
The Tablet’s work speaks of lights and of what the sun effects. Fire here is the alchemical operation’s heat, not Vedic Agni.
from Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet), medieval Latin tradition (Arabic antecedents)
associated with · partially sourced · culturally specific
Venus is associated with Copper.
Later alchemy often pairs Venus with copper. The pairing is a laboratory convention, not a mining fact about the morning star.
associated with · interpretive · culturally specific
Planet Mercury is historically related to Mercury (metal).
The wanderer and the metal share a name in alchemy and astrology. Keep the sky-object and the flask distinct.
from Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet), medieval Latin tradition (Arabic antecedents)
historically related to · sourced · documented

animal · 2

Serpent is associated with Rebirth.
Later alchemy uses the circling serpent (ouroboros) as a picture of a work that returns on itself. That is a laboratory emblem, not Egyptian Apep and not Asklepios.
from Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet), medieval Latin tradition (Arabic antecedents)
associated with · interpretive · modern interpretation
Serpent is associated with Transformation.
Alchemical writing treats matter as something that can be cooked into another state. The serpent-circle is one picture of that claim, not a biological fact about snakes.
associated with · interpretive · culturally specific

deity · 1

Late antiquity

Hermes is historically related to Mercury (metal).
The god’s Latin name was given to the metal. Hymn and flask remain two files.
from Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet), medieval Latin tradition (Arabic antecedents); Anonymous (Homeric hymn) · Homeric Hymn to Hermes, c. 6th–5th century BCE
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place · 1

Fulling mill is used in Wool.
Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary seats the water-powered mill for cleaning and thickening cloth among textile mills. A named fulling-mill in that wool-cloth craft, not a grain watermill alone and not a sawmill.
from Edward H. Knight · American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876
used in · sourced · documented