The Image of the Saracens in Marco Polo: Livre de merveilles (BnF, ms. fr. 2810)
The article analyses the way in which the Muslim people are presented in the text and miniatures of Marco Polo’s book which constitutes a part of the fifteenth century French manuscript known under the title Livres des merveilles. The majority of episodes with the accompanying miniatures points at the shortcomings of the Saracens and at their hostile attitude to Christians. Marco Polo, however, was able to observe and objectively describe the wealth of Muslims and the trade flourishing in their cities. The text and miniatures discover these two different faces of the Orient.
Otwórz Artykuł