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“Lucerna Salis Philosophorum” or “Salt Lamp of the Philosophers.” An incredibly rare alchemical work with allusions to the Hermetic mysteries. The pages within cite Paracelsus, Hermes Trismegistus, among other legendary figures. Mary Ann Atwood refers to the alchemical/spiritual nature of the "Lucerna" ("Suggestive Inquiry Into The Hermetic Mystery", 1918, pp. 384-5) John Ferguson discusses the work at length in his "Bibliotheca Chemica" (pp. 368 - 370) where he attributes it to one Josaphat Friederich Hautnorton on the basis of an editor's note on p. 157 of the "Lucerna." This attribution has been confirmed by the recent decryption of the anagram at the end of the Praefatio ("Sit! Pischon horti Aeden tuto fruar") which gives "iosaphat fridericus heutnortton." Heutnortton is said to be a pseudonym of Johann Harprecht (1610-1660) an identification which Ferguson supports, although some disagree. Housed in a fine, custom clamshell case Bound in 18th century marbled wrap