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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. 56v–57r
Description:
Quail (left)
The bestiary tells us that the quail, depicted here with red and green feathers, was a migratory bird that suffers from the falling sickness (epilepsy), and eats poisonous seeds.
Peacock and Cock (right)
This peacock may reflect comparisons of the bird with tail open to prideful preachers, and the advice offered by bestiaries that the peacock “keep its tail down.” Below, a cock illustrates a description of the power of the cock’s crow, thought to calm storms and frighten robbers.