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The Arts Intel Report

Unicorn

Luca Longhi, The Lady and the Unicorn.

Mar 30 – Sept 22, 2024
St John's Pl, Perth PH1 5SZ, United Kingdom

When he came to power in the 12th century, the Scottish King William I placed a unicorn on his royal coat of arms. Three-hundred years later, King James III emblazoned gold coins with unicorns. When England and Scotland unified, in 1603, and James VI became James I of England, he replaced the two unicorns on his coat of arms with a unicorn and a lion, England’s national animal, to showcase his dedication to unity. In Scotland, the symbol of the unicorn dates back to Celtic mythology. The white creature, horselike but with the spiraling horn of a narwhal, was masculine and powerful yet also innocent and pure. Only a virgin maiden, or a king, could tame one of these magical beasts. In this display, historic and contemporary media come together to trace the long life of the mythical unicorn. —Elena Clavarino

Photo: © Stanza di Paolo III, Castel Sant’Angelo, Rome