MS M.461, fols. 75v–76r

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Livre des merveilles du monde

France, probably Angers
ca. 1460
281 x 220 mm

Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913) in 1911

MS M.461, fols. 75v–76r
Description: 

Sri Lanka and Tuscany

While Sri Lanka, above—known as Taprobane in the Middle Ages—was often presented as a land of dragons, here it is depopulated of people or beasts, simply appearing as a fertile and inviting place. Tuscany, below, is characterized by healthful rivers and elaborate death rites.