![]() ![]() This copy of the Speculum Historiale is therefore considerably more recent than the text itself. The other parts were the Speculum Naturale (Mirror of Nature) and Speculum Doctrinale (Mirror of Doctrine). The Speculum Historiale gave a history of the world up until the 13 th century. He intended for it to represent a compendium of all knowledge currently available at the time of his writing. Vincent of Beauvais, a Dominican friar, wrote the Speculum Maius in 1264. The Speculum Historiale, or the Mirror of History, is one part of the Speculum Maius (Great Mirror). Vellum in vellum wrapper, 12th or 13th century AD. The science around domestication is still evolving and changing, but the first animal domesticated by humans was probably the dog-between 14,000 and 36,000 years ago, predating the dawn of agriculture. ![]() This is distinct from the process of taming a single animal. Domestication is a permanent genetic change across an entire species that renders each individual animal friendlier towards humans. Their presence was encouraged by farmers for the purpose of pest control, and eventually these tamer cats also became domestic companions. As humans developed agriculture, growing settlements began to attract mice and rats which in turn began to attract wildcats. Cats had spread across most of Europe by the medieval period, but they were first domesticated from the North African wildcat around 10,000 years ago. The domestic cat would have been a familiar sight to the scribes who crafted this manuscript. Cats have been a subject of art throughout history, with depictions of pet cats found in cave paintings, carvings, and famously in Ancient Egyptian art. The three examples shown here are all decorated with cats, although the reader may find that difficult to tell. Each psalm in this manuscript begins with its own illuminated initial. A Psalter is a copy of the Book of Psalms which often had other religious material bound with them-this manuscript also contains a calendar of saints and a cantica, a religious or narrative poem. This Psalter is a good example of illuminated letters used as a navigational device. Three different species are respectively native to India and Sri Lanka, Java and Myanmar (Burma), and the African rainforests. Peafowl are omnivorous members of the pheasant family, and are one of the largest species of birds capable of flight. Admired for their beauty, peacocks have been kept as pets for thousands of years. They are well-known for their colourful plumage in males, which is used for courtship displays. Peacocks, more properly referred to as peafowl, are perfectly suited for decorating manuscripts. Some illustrations were linked to the text, to prompt the reader to focus on a topic, but many were purely decorative. However, illuminated letters-like this T-also functioned as navigational devices, marking the start of a new chapter or section. Illuminations served to decorate and beautify medieval manuscripts, and animals were a frequent motif. This peacock standing atop a fish is one of many illuminations in the manuscript, and many of these also include animals such as dogs, serpents, and other birds, as well as more fantastical dragons and grotesques. Translations of the text in Latin, like this one, circulated widely throughout medieval Europe. ![]() This medieval manuscript is a copy of Josephus’ Antiquities, which is a history of the Jewish people. This exhibition showcases just some of the interesting examples of animal art that can be found in the manuscripts and early printed books held in the Special Collections of St John’s College Library, as well as presenting relevant facts about the animals themselves and the often sobering nature of their relationship to humans.Ĭurated by Ellie Capeling, Library Graduate Trainee 2019-2020. However, much of the natural world which has inspired human creativity throughout the centuries is now at risk of being destroyed through human interference. These illustrations are charming for their unusual art styles, and unconventional ideas about animals that we are now more familiar with seeing in zoos or on television screens. ![]() Visual depictions of animals have served to decorate and illustrate written texts from early manuscripts, through the dawn of the printed book, and up to the present day. Human interactions with the natural world have long inspired elements in mythology, folklore, and art. Animals have always lived alongside humans, and the species which currently populate the planet evolved in step with us. ![]()
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