Definition
The Ashmole Bestiary is a 13th‑century illuminated manuscript that presents a collection of animal descriptions, allegorical interpretations, and moral lessons, typical of medieval bestiaries. It is catalogued as MS. Ashmole 1511 within the Ashmolean Museum’s manuscript collection at the University of Oxford.
Overview
Created circa 1240–1250 in England, the Ashmole Bestiary comprises a series of vellum folios richly decorated with historiated initials, marginalia, and full‑page miniatures. The text is primarily in Latin, drawing from classical sources such as Pliny the Elder and Isidore of Seville, as well as from the medieval bestiary tradition epitomized by the Physiologus. The manuscript serves both as a natural history compendium and a didactic tool, employing the attributes of real and mythical creatures to convey Christian moral instruction.
Etymology/Origin
The designation “Ashmole” derives from the Ashmole collection, amassed by Sir Robert Ashmole (1595–1649), whose bequest formed the core of the Ashmolean Museum’s early holdings. The term “bestiary” comes from the Latin bestiarium, meaning “book of beasts,” a genre that flourished in medieval Europe.
Characteristics
- Physical composition: Approximately 80 vellum folios, each measuring roughly 260 × 190 mm. The manuscript is bound in leather with ornamental tooling typical of the period.
- Illumination style: Features a blend of Romanesque and early Gothic artistic elements, including vivid pigment use (e.g., lapis lazuli for blues) and intricate border decorations. Notable miniatures depict creatures such as the lion, unicorn, griffin, and the mythical beast known as the “cockatrice.”
- Textual content: Structured into entries for individual animals, each entry combines a natural description, an anecdote from classical or biblical sources, and a moralizing sermon. The text follows the conventional bestiary schema of “physiognomy, behavior, and allegory.”
- Provenance: After remaining in monastic libraries for several centuries, the manuscript entered the Ashmole collection in the 17th century and has been housed at the Ashmolean Museum since its establishment in 1683.
- Scholarly significance: Considered an important example of English bestiary production, it provides insight into medieval iconography, vernacular interpretations of natural history, and the transmission of classical knowledge within a Christian framework.
Related Topics
- Bestiary (manuscript genre) – The broader literary and artistic tradition of medieval bestiaries.
- Ashmolean Museum – The museum that holds the Ashmole Bestiary and many other medieval manuscripts.
- Physiologus – An early Christian text that served as a primary source for later bestiaries.
- Illuminated manuscript – The art form encompassing decorated texts such as the Ashmole Bestiary.
- Robert Ashmole – The collector whose bequest formed the foundation of the Ashmolean Museum’s manuscript holdings.