The magnificent beast, since stuffed and preserved, has left Paris for the first time since it arrived in 1770, travelling to London to take up a temporary place under the spotlight at the Science Museum.
The skin is almost jet black. The animal is an enormous bit of surviving evidence of a period of so-called rhinomania that swept Europe at the end of the 18th century.
It is significant that it's an Indian rhino, because that speaks to the geopolitical expression of Louis XV's power, said Morgan.
The exhibition will look at all the animals collected from around the world...that were held at the zoo at Versailles, each brought over to France to advertise the king's power and global reach.
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