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An incredibly rare 17th century alchemist's scroll giving instructions for the elixir of life has sold for a magical £585,000.
The delicate manuscript was an illustrative methodology of 15th century scientist George Ripley's recipe for the philosophers' stone which made a potion that supposedly granted the drinker eternal life.
It also gave instructions for turning base metals into gold.
Although the instructions were impossibly cryptic - there is one reference to using dragon's blood - it didn't stop scholars of the time, including Sir Isaac Newton, giving it a go.
An incredibly rare 17th century alchemist's scroll giving instructions for the elixir of life has sold for a magical £585,000.
The delicate manuscript was an illustrative methodology of 15th century scientist George Ripley's recipe for the philosophers' stone which made a potion that supposedly granted the drinker eternal life.
It also gave instructions for turning base metals into gold.
Although the instructions were impossibly cryptic - there is one reference to using dragon's blood - it didn't stop scholars of the time, including Sir Isaac Newton, giving it a go.
©Christies 17 Dec 2017 1956x4048 / 927.6KB