So here's the Alchemical Banjo, completed in August, 2000. From a distance, it doesn't look half bad! Let's look a little closer, shall we?
A close-up of the peghead shows that this is a Swanson banjo (painted, not inlaid). Above the brand is the Greek letter "phi", which is used by some historians to designate the entity known as "phlogiston". Phlogiston was a 17th century conception, developed to explain why fuels burn and why metals corrode. It's present at the top of my banjo, as I hope my clawhammer playing someday will catch on fire. Historical note: phlogiston was not a conception of the alchemists of medieval times, so it's a bit of an oxymoron to have its symbol on the Alchemical Banjo. Much of my graduate work centered on phlogiston, however, so it has a special place for me, and gets top billing on the banjo.
The other symbol on the peghead originates in ancient Greece, and again, is not strictly an alchemical symbol. The corners of the outer square represent the four "elements" of Greek philosophy: fire, air, water, and earth. The corners of the inner square represent the four properties of hot/cold, moist/dry. You can see this symbol in its chemical context, described here.
