The museum’s Theatrum Naturae exhibits what the ancients believed to be physical proof of the unicorn’s existence. Coiled into a spiral, the white ‘unicorn horn’ was a symbol of purity and sold for its weight in gold because it was believed to have healing properties and to be capable of neutralising any poison. Its extraordinary shape fuelled the myth for centuries, until science discovered its true origin: the magical horn is in fact the tusk of a narwhal, a rare cetacean found in the North Sea.
Displayed in an elegant setting among real creatures and “monstrosities”, this specimen becomes a symbol of a decisive historical shift: from myth interpreting nature to science uncovering its secrets.
