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Secondary sourcePaintingc. 1410-1412

The Polo Brothers Meet Kublai Khan

Unknown (manuscript illuminator) · c. 1410-1412

A 15th-century French manuscript illumination showing the Polo brothers meeting Kublai Khan, from a compilation containing Marco Polo's book.

This manuscript illustration depicts Marco Polo's family being received by Kublai Khan, as described in Polo's own book.

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The Polo Brothers Meet Kublai Khan
The Polo brothers meet Kublai Khan, miniature from a manuscript containing Marco Polo's Book of Marvels, c. 1410-1412.

About this source

What it is

This miniature comes from a French manuscript made around 1410–1412, which gathered together travel writings including Marco Polo's Book of Marvels and a text by Odoric of Pordenone. It depicts the Polo brothers appearing before Kublai Khan.

Why it matters

The manuscript shows how, more than a century after Marco Polo's travels, his account was still being copied, translated, and illustrated for European readers. It reflects the enormous interest his descriptions of Asia had sparked, and how illustrators imagined scenes they had never seen themselves.

Look closer

  • What can you tell about how the illustrator imagined the Mongol court from the clothing and setting shown?
  • Why do you think Polo's book was often copied alongside other travel accounts, like Odoric's?
  • What does the existence of this manuscript tell us about the audience for travel stories in medieval Europe?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Marco Polo on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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