Adam Kadmon [“Primordial Man”]. Large esoteric Kabbalistic chart on a complex spherical grid. Composed in an Aschkenazi square Hebrew script, black ink on a large single vellum sheet.

(KABBALAH)

Italy(?)

18th-century

A remarkably detailed Kabbalistic chart that describes the Creation. It maps out the different positions of the upper worlds as determined by R. Isaac Luria (the Arizal). The Arizal makes particular reference of two types of sephirot, which can be readily seen here: “Eigulim,” and “Yosher.” The Eigulim are spherical while the Yosher is directional. The spherical sefirot surround each world to send forth Divine Light to give basic existence to each world; whereas the Yosher carries Divine Light from world to world and adds spiritual intensity to each world, beyond mere existence. The Arizal refers to the structure represented in this chart as Adam Kadmon which he calls the blueprint of creation. This highly uncommon chart might have been used as a teaching aid in mapping out clearly the different components of creation according to Kabbalah, or it was utilized as an uncommonly large hanging amulet, to bring blessing to the home. Undoubtedly, the author was a Kabbalistic expert.