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Washington, United States
loves: you win if you guessed "pets" and "museums". Also books, art history, travel, British punk, Korean kimchi, bindis, martinis, and other things TBD. I will always make it very clear if a post is sponsored in any way. Drop me a line at thepetmuseum AT gmail.com !

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

snail cat

Detail of a marginal image of a cat in a snail shell. Netherlands, S. (Liege)
Courtesy of the British Museum.  Public domain
From the illuminated manuscript known as Stowe 17, f. 185 - it's a snailcat.  Why snailcat?  I've been trying to figure that out and I still don't know, but medieval illuminators seem to really have a fondness for snails. Like here.  Or here.  (That last one possibly a commentary on bravery or lack thereof.)

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