What is a butt tuba and why is it in medieval art?

Uncover the rich history of illuminated manuscripts and the often bizarre images that filled the margins of medieval books.

A rabbit attempts to play a church organ, while a knight fights a giant snail and a naked man blows a trumpet with his rear end. These bizarre images, painted with squirrel-hair brushes on vellum or parchment by monks, nuns and urban craftspeople, populate the margins of the most prized books from the Middle Ages. Michelle Brown explores the rich history and tradition of illuminated manuscripts.