• Double pelican flask (“gemissaries”), 1981. Modern reconstruction

Curatorial Notes:

• The twinned distillation vessels, or “gemissaries,” are designed to allow material to circulate evenly between two flasks. This unusual piece of apparatus is first mentioned in the Letter of Abbreviations of Pseudo-Ramon Llull, one of George Ripley’s 14th-century sources. Given the difficulty of making such a complex piece of glassware, it is unclear whether the twin flasks were ever used in practice, or whether they were designed as a novelty to intrigue readers.

Credit Line:

• Courtesy of Lawrence M. Principe

Identifier:

• ark:/88435/dc08612z858