Gallery: Niguliste Museum exhibition explores history of the unicorn
A new exhibition at Tallinn's Niguliste Museum asks the age-old question "What is the unicorn, really, and what does it look like?"
"Unicorn in the Magical Forest" examines the meaning of the unicorn through history and shows the mythical beast on objects and works of art from the 16th to the 21st century.
The exhibition has been put together by the National Historical Museums in Sweden, the Swedish Royal Armoury and different Estonian museums and private collections.
The works from Estonia introduce the local presence and significance of the unicorn, while rare Early Modern Period royal artefacts from the Swedish Royal Armoury reveal the symbolic meaning and use of images of the unicorn during the period when the kings of Sweden ruled over Estonia and Livonia.
The museum says: "Does this magnificent and elusive beast truly exist or does it live in the world of imagination? Does it even matter? Even if unicorns live only in our dreams, they are extraordinary creatures loaded with symbolic power. They are real for all of those who believe in them. This is what the unicorn told Alice in the world beyond the looking-glass, "If you believe in me, then I'll believe in you"."
Unicorn in the Magical Forest is on show until April 6, 2025.
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Editor: Helen Wright
