Tooth and Nail, Fur and Scale
by Anupam Arunachalam
Displayed as found! In the pages of history and in the dense undergrowth of human memory, we see glimpses of lurking fantastic beasts. Be honest-haven't you felt them around you? Haven't you been surprised by movement in the corner of your vision? By stirring shadows or a faint rustling in the dark?The specimens in this exhibit of monsters from the Indian subcontinent have been hand-picked from musty old encyclopedias, murky urban legends, earthy folk tales and the white-hot bowels of mythology. Some have been stuffed to restore verisimilitude, but none were washed, painted or otherwise altered.