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Worksop Bestiary
England, possibly in Lincoln or York
ca. 1185
215 x 155 mm
Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913) in 1902
MS M.81, fols. 51v–52r
Description:
Halcyon (left)
The seas were thought to calm for fourteen days after the halcyon lays its eggs on the shore, which is why sailors refer to fair weather as halcyon days.
Cinnamon Bird (right)
A man with a slingshot is trying to dislodge twigs from the upper branches of a cinnamon tree to harvest the precious spice.