"Pair of Serpents", Folio from a Manafi' al-Hayawan (On the Usefulness of Animals) of Ibn Bakhtishu' 1272 - 1324

This illuminated folio, "Pair of Serpents," is part of the *Manafi' al-Hayawan* (On the Usefulness of Animals), a manuscript attributed to Ibn Bakhtishu', a renowned 11th-century Arab physician. The folio, dated between 1272 and 1324, features a pair of snakes entwined among stylized plant forms, with the text on the page discussing the serpents' properties and uses in traditional medicine. The delicate lines and muted colors of the illustration are characteristic of Islamic manuscript art of this period.