Worksop Bestiary
ca. 1185
England, possibly in Lincoln or York
215 x 155 mm
MS M.81, fols. 65v–66r
Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913) in 1902
Catalog link
Partridge (left)
This vibrant orange partridge illustrates an entry discussing the bird’s alleged lustful and deceitful nature.
Turtle-Doves (right)
The turtle doves are shown paired because they were believed to mate for life—symbolic of the eternal “marriage” of Christ and the Church.