The Book of Marvels: Crete Magnet

Complex and remarkable, the Book of the Marvels of the World, a manuscript in the Morgan's collections, depicts many parts of the world known to the people of Medieval Europe, even if many of their depictions are fantastical.

This magnet is a detail of the image of Crete. The translation of the manuscript describes the scene of a place where letters and writing were first invented, a people who were the first to understand how to build ships and sail, the first of a people who invented armor and weaponry for the purpose of warfare, as well as an herb known as allainos with remarkable and marvelous properties to sustain a hungry person with only one leaf!

This product was created to complement an exhibition at the Morgan Library & Museum, The Book of Marvels: Imagining the Medieval World, on view January 25, 2025 through May 25, 2025.