Escalier des sages ou la philosophie des anciens
A 1686 French printed text on alchemical and philosophical themes, attributed to Barent Coenders van Helpen and published by Charles Pieman, with the pages set in dense black-letter-style roman type. The pictures are the decorative historiated initial capitals that open each section, carved as ornate woodcut letters filled with scrolls, leaves and rosettes, showing how a single enlarged letter can anchor a text block and frame a page edge.
