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Miscellaneous The Unicorn by Lise Gotfredsen $45.00 / Abbeville Press / 1999 The unicorn appears in almost all cultures from earliest times, and the track of its journey follows the momentous transmission of cultures, from the childbed of civilization in the East to its diffuse maturation in the West. The Unicorn not only tells the tale of the creature's origins and uses but does so in an elegant setting in which texts commingle with beautiful images to create a mental hortus conclusus, or "enclosed garden," where the mind is free to roam and dream of the mythical beast. The unicorn was known in ancient China, India, and Mesopotamia where it appeared variously as a hermit Gazelle Horn, a bull, or a dragon of chaos. Several biblical texts also refer to the unicorn, especially to the potency of its horn. By an unclear translation, St. Jerome introduced the term unicornus, and soon the beast was being interpreted as a symbol of Christ. Weaving in references to modern authors such as Henry James and Jean Cocteau, the author conveys the central appeal of the myth to the inherited imagination of the West. IN her readable account, skillfully packed with quotations from both ancient and modern sources, the author achiees a tone and balance that is remarkably accessible. The book also serves up a sumptuous visual feast with reproductions taken from tapestries, paintings, etchiings, anf illuminated manuscripts. The Unicorn is more than a traditional art book; it is a fascinating tour through the complex history of this magical and mysterious beast. —Duke Shadow

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