Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Livre des merveilles du monde (Marvels of the World)

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061. MS M.461, fols. 56v–57r
062. MS M.461, fols. 57v–58r
063. MS M.461, fols. 58v–59r
064. MS M.461, fols. 59v–60r
065. MS M.461, fols. 60v–61r
066. MS M.461, fols. 61v–62r
067. MS M.461, fols. 62v–63r
068. MS M.461, fols. 63v–64r
069. MS M.461, fols. 64v–65r
070. MS M.461, fols. 65v–66r
071. MS M.461, fols. 66v–67r
072. MS M.461, fols. 67v–68r

This manuscript contains numerous images of the real and imaginary lands that made up the medieval world. The miniatures are arranged alphabetically and typically focus on the various peoples, exotic costumes, unusual customs, and fantastic creatures of a particular region. Clearly intended to inspire marveling, the depictions are not terrifying or indicative of sin or disaster. Rather, they are designed for and from a Western perspective that considered distant lands and their inhabitants as strange, exotic, and captivating.