"Typus Sympathicus Microcosmi cum Megacosmo sive Signaturas Plantarum, cum Singulis Humani Corporis Membris Exprimens", Kircher, Athanasius

This interesting engraving represents the theory that the human body is the cosmography of the microcosm in correlation to Ptolemy's cosmography of the macrocosm. Thus the workings of the human body are an analogy for the workings of the universe. This is from Kircher's masterpiece, Mundus Subterraneus, an immense and amazing work covering all aspects of anything that dwelled or occurred within the earth's interior - from dragons, to fossils, to mountain springs, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Kircher's work was the first serious effort to describe the physical makeup of the earth, proposing theories (sometimes fantastic) in the areas of physics, geography, geology, and chemistry.

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Condition: A

On watermarked paper with one tiny spot and a short edge tear confined to the right margin that has been closed on verso with archival tape.