The fable of the unicorn was one of the more famous passages in what are known as bestiaries, gorgeous compendiums of creatures both real and imagined that sold like mad---second only to the Bible ...

Bestiaries extolled the glory of the Christian God through the application of vivid splendor to his creation, ... (painted ceiling panels, carved column capitals), ...

Originally intended for religious education, bestiaries also provided literary entertainment to society’s upper crust in medieval Europe. Brilliantly colored and lettered, the books told stories ...

The elephant is carved on to a gemstone, which experts believe is probably a carnelian A medieval gold seal which shows an elephant carrying a castle on its back has become only the third of its ...

The carved game board found at Ćmielów Castle measures about 13.5 cm, per Olszacki. Built sometime between 1519 and 1531 by a local nobleman named Krzysztof Szydłowiecki, ...