The Land of India

This portion of the Mirror of History tells of exotic places in ancient times, including the wonders of the far-off land of India. The elephant at the center of the image was probably included because the animal is mentioned in the text as one of the curiosities of India. To judge from the appearance of the beast, however, the illuminator had never seen one in person and modeled his picture on a written description. Such fantastic renditions reveal the fascination of medieval audiences with the lands beyond Europe.