A unicorn horn!?! Not in the traditional sense, at least. This spiraling five-foot “tusk” is a actually the tooth from a male narwhal, a whale species native to Arctic waters and related to the beluga. Due to the influence of ancient lore, the horn of the “sea unicorn” was considered throughout the Middle Ages to possess curative powers, such as neutralizing poison and healing various afflictions. Those who could afford such extravagances purchased cups made from narwhal tusks to protect themselves. Maintaining its allure well into the later Renaissance, the remarkable specimen became a regular feature in the encyclopedic natural history museums called wunderkammers or cabinets of curiosity in Europe.
Ivory
Undated
142 cm
Nicholson Whaling Collection, Providence Public Library