The enormous tusk of the narwhal inspired a series of myths and legends. Certain relics from the past, presented as unicorn horns, were in fact nothing more than narwhal teeth—extraordinary marine mammals that took a long time to be identified and understood by Europeans. Medieval bestiaries based their descriptions solely on ancient Greek texts, associating the animal with a Mediterranean imagination, far from its actual habitat. In reality, the narwhal is a difficult animal to observe at sea, living only in the very cold, deep waters of the Arctic.
Many narwhal teeth were used to make walking sticks or “pingalins,” like this piece, which belongs to the Nautical and Aeronautical Collection of the MAH and can be viewed in greater detail in the temporary exhibition “Collections and Museums: From Curiosity to Knowledge.”
