Ammassalik / Tasiilaq - Museum, Narwhal and Polar Bear Skull - East Greenland

Such treasures all gathered together in a single case. In medieval times Narwhal tusks were said to be the horns of unicorns and worth 20 times their weight in gold. Pictures of unicorns are usually portrayed with what at closer inspection turns out to be a narwhals horn.

By 1500 there were only about fifty narwhals horns in existence (apart from those in the possession of narwhals of course). Queen Elizabeth I of England was presented with one by the explorer Sir Martin Frobisher in 1577 that was worth about £10,000 at the time - more than the cost of a new castle, the queen used it as a sceptre.