Miscellany

Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Ashburnham 649
15th century (1460)

The codex contains various vernacular texts, including the Libro della natura degli animali (also known as the Tuscan Bestiary), a medieval treatise probably composed towards the end of the 13th century in which the physical description of the animals is accompanied by a moral interpretation. The large number of extant manuscripts is a clear indication of its enduring popularity. The manuscript is decorated with pen drawings, possibly executed by an artist of the Sienese school. It is open at fol. 14v (opposite), where a siren illustrates Chapter XVI. Above, a detail of fol. 12r, depicting a dragon.