L’origine de la perle : imaginaire d’une immaculée conception au Moyen Âge et à l’époque moderne

Abstract

Among pearl origin myths, one of the most widespread in Western European culture was handed down to us by Pliny the Elder: a shell fertilized by dew would give birth to the pearl. This myth became a topos in the lapidaries and bestiaries of the Middle Ages, as well as in treatises on naturalia in the modern era. One of the reasons for its success was its evocative power, making it an ideal metaphor for the Incarnation of Christ in Christian iconography.