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The Brass VesselPlanetary and Manuscript Sets
Twenty-four seals accompany names on a parchment phylactery worn at the chest. Delatte’s edition of Athens MS 115 gathers their varied crosses, wheels, grids and stars into two pages of drawings. [1]
Delatte 1927, printed historical edition; Athens MS 115
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle.
| Pentacle | Attributed purpose |
|---|---|
| Athens 115 · Seal 01 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 02 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 03 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 04 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 05 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 06 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 07 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 08 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 09 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 10 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 11 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 12 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 13 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 14 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 15 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 16 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 17 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 18 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 19 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 20 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 21 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 22 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 23 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
| Athens 115 · Seal 24 | Part of the twenty-four-seal phylactery carried at the chest in preparation for the art of the circle. |
Book II opens with the art of the circle, undertaken to see and question spirits. The text calls for abstinence from sexual intercourse, meat, wine and fish from the first lunar day, followed by three days on bread and water beginning on the eleventh. Its preparations extend across the body: fresh linen garments, an unused head covering inscribed with names in the ink of the art, and a phylactery carried at the chest. The parchment for that object is specified as coming from an unborn male calf. [1]
Another sequence of names belongs to the phylactery itself. The text places the twenty-four seals below those names, then turns to thin leather hand coverings bearing four pentalphae. The chest object and the hand figures have separate positions in the preparation account. [1]
Delatte prints twelve seals on page 19 and twelve on page 20, arranged in four rows of three on each page. The drawings are individually unnumbered. Their sequence here follows those positions from left to right and from the upper row to the lower. [1]
Several figures share a framework but alter its details. Seals 2, 10, 12 and 24 use eight radial arms with different end marks; seal 15 adds a central ring. Seals 7 and 18 have hexagrams with different surrounding characters. Grids, crossed squares and asymmetric curved forms provide other arrangements within the same series. [1]
Delatte identifies manuscript B as Athens MS 115, a paper book of forty-two folios. He describes its magical words, drawings and signs as written in red ink. The black figures on pages 19–20 belong to his printed edition of 1927. [1]
In the Harley 5596 text printed on page 425, twenty-four sigilla again occur among preparations involving names, garments and a chest-worn object. Delatte’s note 16 directs the reader to these Athens drawings, and note 17 compares the names with the passage on page 18. [1]
Delatte 1927, printed historical edition; Athens MS 115. Manuscript B (Athens MS 115), description printed pp. 1–2; Book II, art of the circle and phylactery pp. 18–20 (ff. 16v–18); Harley 5596 parallel p. 425, notes 16–17. Facsimile PDF pp. 14–15, 31–33 and 438.
Delatte’s edition prints the Athens seal plates and the Greek preparation passages for both manuscripts.