Serpent Collection (#63)

AMPHISBAENA. Mythological two-headed serpent, as portrayed in a 12th century bestiary. Woodcut after a manuscript illumination

SEA MONSTERS, 1516. Sea serpent and dolphin from an edition of Pliny the Elder s
SEA MONSTERS, 1516. Sea serpent and dolphin from an edition of Pliny the Elders Historia Naturale, woodcut printed at Venice, Italy in 1516

SERPENTS, 1559. Entwined serpents, a symbol of physical and spiritual union. Woodcut French emblem, 1559

ETRUSCAN CHIMERA. Drawing after an Etruscan bronze statue, 5th century B. C
ETRUSCAN CHIMERA. Drawing after an Etruscan bronze statue, 5th century B.C

CARROLL: ALICE, 1907. Illustration by Arthur Rackham for Lewis Carrolls Alice s
CARROLL: ALICE, 1907. Illustration by Arthur Rackham for Lewis Carrolls Alices Adventures in Wonderland. Illustration, 1907

GIRL WHO TROD ON A LOAF. Drawing by Arthur Szyk for the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen

ARIOSTO: ORLANDO FURIOSO. Title page of a 1530 Venetian edition of Ludovico Ariosto s
ARIOSTO: ORLANDO FURIOSO. Title page of a 1530 Venetian edition of Ludovico Ariostos Orlando Furioso, with a woodcut portrait of the author

PRINTERs DEVICE, 1515. Device used by Johann Froben, Basel, Switzerland, 1515

PRINTERs DEVICE, 1494. Device used by Erhardt Ratold, Augsburg, Germany, 1494

KWAKIUTL DANCER, c1914. A Kwakiutl dancer of the winter ceremony wearing a double-headed serpent mask and a shirt made of hemlock boughs. Photograph by Edward Curtis, c1914

Mexico - Teotihuacan - carving of Quetzalcoatl
Teotihuacan, a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican city located in the Basin of Mexico, today known as the site of many of the most architecturally significant Mesoamerican pyramids built in the pre-Columbian

Art Nouveau - pretty girl kisses a green serpent
Art nouveau postcard design by Nini Hager (Raphael Kirchner using his wifes name for certain works) of a beautiful girl kissing a serpent. Date: circa 1900

Uruguay - Float for the Edison Electric Company
Uruguay - Festival Advertising Float for the Edison Electric Company, South America. Date: circa 1910s

Picture No. 11050835
Crested Serpent Eagle Nagarhole National Park, Tiger reserve of Kabini, Karnataka, Indi, Asia Date:

Picture No. 11050834
Crested Serpent Eagle Nagarhole National Park, Tiger reserve of Kabini, Karnataka, Indi, Asia Date:

NEPAL - Patan The sunken royal bath of the Tusha Hiti, at Patan, dated to 1670, with a large array of intricate carvings

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox, young, Sinton, Texas, USA, May 2005
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox, young, Sinton, Texas, USA

Western Cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma, young sunning on American Lotus(Nelumbo lutea) lily pad, Welder Wildlife Refuge, Sinton, Texas, USA

Bullsnake, Pituophis catenifer sayi, adult, Willacy County, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, USA

Northern Water Snake, Nerodia sipedon, is resting in a streambed in Central PA, USA, Controlled Situation

Python from Malaysia and Indonesia

Adoration of a group of Naga, semidivine half serpent beings in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Indian stone relief
INDIA: NAGA RELIEF. Adoration of a group of Naga, semidivine half serpent beings in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Indian stone relief

Sandstone, Cambodia, second half of the 11th century
BUDDHA ON THE NAGA. Sandstone, Cambodia, second half of the 11th century

Adam and the serpent. circa 18th century

Picture No. 10738812
Crested Serpent Eagle - with caught snake (Spilornis cheela) Date:

Picture No. 10899613
Crested serpent eagle - snake in bill - in tree turned away (Spilornis cheela) Date:

Picture No. 10899614
Crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela) Date:

Picture No. 10886375
Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela) Date:

Picture No. 10886367
Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela) Date:

Picture No. 10886366
Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela) Date:

Picture No. 10788175
Crested Serpent Eagle - Taking-off with Water snake kill (Spilornis cheela) Date:

Adam and Eve, tempted by the Serpent, eat from the Tree of Knowledge and are expelled from the Garden of Eden by the Angel of the Lord

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) German philosopher. Print published London 1812. Profile portrait surrounded by Ouroboros, ancient Egyptian-Greek symbolic serpent with tail in mouth devouring itself

Allegory of Faith 1670-1672. Faith with foot on the World. Apple (Original Sin) Serpent (Satan) Stone (Christ) Crucifix Cup Christian Iconography

St John the Evangelist with the Poisoned Cup. Legend is that cup of poisoned wine was passed to St John and, as he blessed it, the poison rose up in the form of a serpent. Bible: Matthew 20:23

Hindu concpet of the universe, showing it encircled by a serpent, the symbol of eternity. Mount Meru represents paradise, earth below it supported by six elephants

The Hermetic Vessel, c1760. Hermetic vessel in the alchemical furnace. The serpent within the vase symbolises the earthy substances of which the Philosophers Stone is made

St Paul the Apostle shaking the viper from his hand. Bible Acts 28: 3. Copperplate
St Paul the Apostle shaking the viper from his hand. Bible Acts 28:3. Copperplate engraving c1808

Moses, having interceded with God on behalf of Israelites in the wilderness, instructs them to look on brazen serpent he has made and they will be cured of their snake bites. Bible Numbers 21

God sent a plague of serpents to punish Israelites for their disobedience. They repented, asking Moses to intercede. God told him to make brazen serpent and all those bitten could look on serpent

Twelfth Key of Basil Valentine, illustrating that Philosophers Stone must be combined with gold to produce new gold, just as lion eats serpent to change it into its own substance

Yaxchilan lintel 15Maya, Late Classic period (AD 600-900) From Yaxchilan, Mexico. A serpent apparition from a Maya temple, limestone lintel

Stone figure of Xiuhcoatl, AD 1325-1521 From Mexico. The Fire Serpent Xiuhcoatl, played an important role in Mexica religion

Aztec -Mixtec mosaic Serpent 15th-16th Century

Granite carving of a serpent: Aztec, AD 1325-1521 from Mexico. The serpent played a key role in Aztec religion and was represented in a variety of forms

Mosaic of a double-headed serpent for use as a ceremonial pectoral. Aztec, Mixtec, 15th-16th century AD. Mexico Mesoamerican

Entrance to Dr. Palmers Little Bit O Heaven
View shows the entrance to the Davenport, Iowa attraction built on the grounds of the Palmer Chiropractic College. A mosaic serpent on a pillar guards the entrance

The First Approach of the Serpent, by Gustave Dorafaa
The First Approach of the Serpent, by Gustave Dorafa

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In the vast tapestry of human history and mythology, the serpent has slithered its way into countless narratives, leaving an indelible mark on our collective consciousness. From ancient tales to modern depictions, this enigmatic creature continues to captivate our imagination. Kipling's "Just So Stories" introduces us to a mischievous serpent in "The Elephant's Child, " whose curiosity leads him on a transformative journey. Similarly, Caravaggio's masterpiece "Head of Medusa" portrays the terrifying visage of a Gorgon with serpents for hair, striking fear into all who gaze upon her. The Novgorod Icon "Last Judgement" depicts a biblical scene where sinners face divine retribution while Asclepius, represented as a statue in ancient Rome, holds his staff entwined by serpents as a symbol of healing and medicine. The infamous encounter between Adam, Eve, and the serpent in the Garden of Eden forever changed humanity's course. This fateful interaction represents temptation and knowledge intertwined—a pivotal moment that shaped our understanding of good and evil. Dmitriy Stakhievich Moor's poster from 1919 titled "Death to World Imperialism" features an imposing serpent coiled around Earth—an allegory for oppressive power structures being challenged during times of revolution. On the Pergamon Altar stands Athena battling Alcyoneus—a giant defeated only through her cunning strategy. The presence of snakes adds another layer to this epic struggle between divinity and chaos. President Andrew Jackson is depicted destroying the Bank of United States in an influential lithograph cartoon from 1828. Symbolizing corruption and greed within financial institutions, it showcases how even leaders can be seen as serpentine figures when their actions are questioned. Gustave Doré's depiction of Leviathan reveals an immense sea monster with scales akin to those found on serpents—representing the untamed forces of nature and the depths of human fears.