manuel cohen

Credence, Oratory, Hotel Lallemant, Bourges, France

Credence carved with many symbols related to alchemy, such as balls of fire, dolphins, a shell representing mercury, rose and cornucopia and the mysterious letters RERE (possibly related to genealogy and found repeatedly on Lallemant family prayer books and objects), in the Lallemant family chapel in the Oratory of the Hotel Lallemant, a mansion built 1495-1518 in French Renaissance style by the Lallemant merchant family, in Bourges, Centre Val de Loire, France. Fulcanelli wrote extensively on the significance of the letters R and E in terms of alchemy, with RE being dry and wet matters and RERE double matters. The sculptural decoration on the building, made by both French and Italian sculptors, has been interpreted by Fulcanelli and others as having an alchemical symbolism. Since 1951 the building has housed the Musee des Arts Decoratifs and it was listed as a historic monument in 1840. Picture by Manuel Cohen

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Filename: LC17_FRANCE_MC_0685.jpg
Image Size: 4724x7087 / 11.7MB; www.manuelcohen.com; 1495-1518 15th century 16th century alchemical alchemy alchimie architectural detail ball of fire belief Berry Bourges burning capital carved Centre Val de Loire Centre-Val de Loire chapel Cher christian christianity color colour cornucopia credence dolphin double matter dry matter dry work E eucharist Europe European faith family chapel fire flame France French Fulcanelli genealogy heritage historic monument history horn of plenty Hotel Lallemant house image indoors initial inside interior interpretation l'hotel Lallemant Lallemand Lallemant Lallemant family letter Loire manor house mansion mercury monument historique Musee des Arts Decoratifs museum mystery niche oratory pillar pomegranate R RE religion religious Renaissance RERE rose sacrament sacred sculptural detail shell symbol symbolism vertical Western Europe Western European wet matter wet work
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Credence carved with many symbols related to alchemy, such as balls of fire, dolphins, a shell representing mercury, rose and cornucopia and the mysterious letters RERE (possibly related to genealogy and found repeatedly on Lallemant family prayer books and objects), in the Lallemant family chapel in the Oratory of the Hotel Lallemant, a mansion built 1495-1518 in French Renaissance style by the Lallemant merchant family, in Bourges, Centre Val de Loire, France. Fulcanelli wrote extensively on the significance of the letters R and E in terms of alchemy, with RE being dry and wet matters and RERE double matters. The sculptural decoration on the building, made by both French and Italian sculptors, has been interpreted by Fulcanelli and others as having an alchemical symbolism. Since 1951 the building has housed the Musee des Arts Decoratifs and it was listed as a historic monument in 1840. Picture by Manuel Cohen