Book of Beasts by Christpher de Hamel (Introduction by); Bodleian Library Staff (Contribution by); Christopher de Hamel (Introduction by)- This link opens in a new window
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ISBN: 1851243178
Publication Date: 2008-12-31
'The Lord created the various creatures...not only for the sustenance of man but also for their instruction', Thomas of Cobham (AD 1236).In the Middle Ages, people believed that studying animals allowed them to read the Divine Order as written in the natural world. In image and word, medieval bestiaries illustrated beasts in stunning detail and explained their scientific nature as well as their allegorical significance.This bestiary, dating from the mid-13th century and preserved at the Bodleian Library in Oxford since the early 17th century, is one of the finest and most charming medieval English bestiaries. A perfect example of medieval illumination, it is clearly the work of a master artist and was probably destined for an aristocratic home.