Fantastic Beasts
Mythological animals, cryptozoological creatures, monsters—whatever you call them, pretty much every culture across history has them.
Funerary Papyrus of Tamesia (Roman Period, about 100 CE) by Once known artistThe Toledo Museum of Art
The ancient Egyptian demoness/goddess Ammit is a fearsome composite of a crocodile, lion, and hippo.
Called “The Devourer,” she played a role in the Weighing of the Heart, when a person who has died comes before 42 divine judges to plead their case for passing into the Afterlife.
If their heart turns out to be heavier than a feather, it is tossed to Ammit, who devours it, dooming the deceased’s soul to wander forever.
The legendary griffin—part eagle, snake, hare, and lion—may have originated in ancient Iran or even ancient Egypt, but was found in cultures across Central Asia and Turkey. In ancient Greece, griffins were protective figures and were considered guardians of treasure.
This griffin protome (bust) would have been one of several that were originally attached to the shoulder of a large bronze cauldron that in turn rested on a bronze tripod.
Commissioned by wealthy individuals, these cauldrons were among the most valuable gifts dedicated to the god.
One of the most adorable creatures on this tour, the tanuki, or racoon-dog, is a real animal native to Japan.
In Japanese folklore, however, the tanuki is mischievous and fun-loving and has magical powers. Tanuki often disguise themselves as humans, delighting in fooling people.
This pot-bellied tanuki is a netsuke (net-skeh), a miniature Japanese sculpture that would have been attached to the end of a cord that held a container for personal items called a sagemono (sog-eh-mo-no) suspended from a man’s robes.
Saint George and the Dragon (1480/1490) by unknown, FranceThe Toledo Museum of Art
A classic knight-slaying-a-dragon story, the famous battle between Saint George and...
the fierce, fire-breathing dragon has been depicted by artists ranging from Raphael to Rubens to Dalí.
The unidentified 15th-century French artist of this small painting packed it with lots of details, including the bones and skulls of the dragon’s previous unfortunate victims.
Double Capitals from Saint-Pons-de-Thomières; Damned in the Mouth of Hell (1150/1250) by Once known artistThe Toledo Museum of Art
In the Middle Ages, the Christian concept of the Last Judgment of souls, when the saved would be separated from the damned, was often depicted in art as a motivator and a warning.
The fate of the damned, in particular, was typically shown in gruesome detail. This carved column capital portrays Hell as a living beast into whose gaping mouth the hapless souls are being forced by tormenting demons.
Several mythological creatures of the sea decorate this spectacular 17th-century cup made from a nautilus shell.
The focal point is the razor-toothed sea monster at the top that bears a bit of a resemblance to that nightmare of the deep sea, the anglerfish.
The focal point is the razor-toothed sea monster at the top that bears a bit of a resemblance to that nightmare of the deep sea, the anglerfish.
Like many fantastic creatures, vyala (also called yali) are composite beast
They have the head of an elephant and the body of a lion.
They have the head of an elephant and the body of a lion.
They can represent the wild forces of nature, but are also strong and vicious creatures that guard Hindu temples from evil.
Though we usually think of fairies (faeries) as benign, twinkly miniature sprites like Tinkerbell, in Victorian lore they could be downright terrifying
They were often malicious, played harmful pranks, kidnapped infants to raise as their own, and were even thought to be responsible for tuberculosis!
John Anster Fitzgerald’s colorful faeries run the gamut from beautiful, blue-eyed maidens to bizarre, demon-like beings.
Toledo Museum of Art
Toledo, Ohio
www.toledomuseum.org
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