Fable of the Cock and the Diamond

A large cock with detailed plumage and a prominent comb is depicted in the center, gazing down at a jewel set in a gold band. The setting is a rustic landscape featuring a thatched barn to the left and a stone church with a steeple in the distance. Small figures of villagers are visible in the background, adding a sense of scale to the animal-centric scene.

Illustrating an Aesopic fable, this print serves as a moral allegory regarding the nature of value, where the cock represents the ignorant man who prefers a grain of corn (survival) over a diamond (wisdom). Produced by the imperial engraver for Rudolf II, it reflects the Prague court's interest in the intersection of moral philosophy, emblem books, and the symbolic interpretation of the natural world.