An original hand-coloured, matted, illustration - "Sacerdotal Esotericism making the sign of Excommunication" - from the first English edition of Eliphas Levis' "Transcendental Magic. Its Doctrine and Ritual."
London: Redway, 1896. First Edition. An original hand-coloured illustration from the First English Edition of Eliphas Levis' "Transcendental Magic. It's Doctrine and Ritual" which was translated by A. E. Waite and published by George Redway in 1896. The illustration, which has been cropped, is approximately 4.5 inches x 6.5 inches. The "Explanation of Figures Contained in this Work" describes it as "Sacerdotal Esotericism making the sign of Excommunication." According to Levi's notes this is: "A sacerdotal hand making the sign of esotericism and projecting the figure of the demon in its shadow. Above are the Ace of Deniers, as found in the Chinese Tarot, and two superposed triangles, one white and one black. It is a new allegory explaining the same mysteries; it is the origin of good and evil; it is the creation of the demon by mystery." The illustration is in a modern cream-coloured acid-free mat board (outer size is 8 x 10 inches), with foam backing board, ready for framing. The size of the mat & mount is such that it is a standard US document size, and should fit in any ready-made frame designed for an 8 x 10 inch photo or document. The mat board is fine - as new. The illustration is a little discolored, but overall in VG+ condition. Scarce. The first English edition of "Transcendental Magic" (which was translated from the revised French edition of 1861) is uncommon and copies are rarely so damaged that they are beyond restoration - and thus individual illustrations from it seldom come on the market. It is not known who coloured the illustration, or when, but it was certainly not in the last few decades. The illustration is guaranteed from the original 1896 edition, and thus over 100 years old, and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Item #64154
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