King Garamantes And His Dogs, In A Bestiary

The text of this manuscript concerns the characteristics of different kinds of animals, plants and stones. It seems to have been made for a librarian of the Benedictine abbey at Rochester, and its artist also worked on a Psalter probably made for a London patron; he therefore probably moved around Southeast England. The illumination was left unfinished, however, so it may be that the librarian ran out of money, or that the artist was called away to another project. A legend tells how King Garamantes was captured by his enemies, and 200 of his dogs went behind enemy lines to escort him back to safety.