“Mythic Creatures” at Museum of Science

From my review of “Mythic Creatures” at Boston’s Museum of Science:

The Museum of Science offers “Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids,” an exploration of the crossroads of myth and science organized by New York’s American Museum of Natural History. It collects intriguing art and artifacts – a 16th century map of Iceland surrounded by sea monsters, folk paintings and beaded textiles depicting water spirits and mermaids, a Chinese parade dragon costume made in Hong Kong and performed on the streets of New York. It tells how elephant bones and Prehistoric fossils were mistaken for giants, dragons and griffons. (While you’re at the museum, check out the rare, nearly-complete real triceratops skeleton that was unveiled downstairs in November.) And there are interesting facts: Did you know that the depiction of unicorn horns became standardized based on narwhal tusks sold at European markets in the Middle Ages?

Read the rest here.

“Mythic Creatures,” Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, Oct. 26, 2008, to March 22, 2009.

Pictured from top to bottom: Mermaid weathervane, dragon model, gigantopithecus model, chupacabra, and unicorn model.