If Maureen Pescaia’s Aiea apartment was on fire and she had time to rescue only a few things, her collection of unicorns would surely make it out unscathed.

In fact, said daughter Kyra Borromeo, “If there was a truck coming toward me and a unicorn, she’d probably save the unicorn.

“My mom really loves her unicorns.”

Pescaia, 60, is not alone in her admiration for the mythical horned creatures. Unicorns have held a fascination for various civilizations throughout the ages. They are found in Mesopotamian artwork, in Asian legends and in the early Christian church.

Pescaia said she grew up in Florida surrounded by horses, and her “love and respect” for the animals evolved into her unicorn preoccupation.

“It’s never died, and unicorns, well, they are such magical creatures,” she said.

Although enamored of unicorns while in high school, her collection didn’t start until she purchased a small figure at a gift store in the 1990s. She now has 75 pieces, including crystal and porcelain unicorns, musical globes and books, and a needlepoint she found in a thrift store and had framed.

At one point Pescaia belonged to a unicorn-of-the-month mail-order club.

“They are fun and whimsical,” she said. “The tiny ones are kind of sweet.”

Her favorite piece is a 15-inch porcelain fairy embracing a unicorn, which she bought in a shop a couple decades ago. “It’s one of the most beautiful unicorns that I’ve ever seen,” she said.

And just so you know Pescaia’s obsession isn’t merely a fanciful hobby, she conducted academic research into the origins of the legend for a paper she wrote while attending Chaminade University.

“Everyone thought it was a little silly. My professor gave me a hard time and made me rewrite it even though it was carefully researched with cultural history and origins,” she said.

The paper explored the theory that unicorns were actually rhinoceroses. Since there was no means for ancient peoples to share actual images of the animals, the creatures were drawn based on oral descriptions. Pescaia’s research also detailed unicorn mythology in Christian and Asian cultures.

Pescaia took off the past year from teaching English at Highlands Intermediate to care for her husband, Dayle Pescaia, who died early last month at age 78. (Their daughter was recently home visiting from Naples, Italy, where she is stationed with the U.S. Navy.)

“My husband indulged me,” Pescaia said. “He thought it was foolish but didn’t mind me collecting more unicorns.”

She admits that keeping her collection clean is tricky, as the figures’ spiral horns are delicate.

“I rinse them and methodically dry them off, very carefully,” she said. “I try not to turn them into horses.”

"Possessed" is an occasional series featuring Hawaii residents and their unique or fascinating collections. Tell us about your collection by emailing features@staradvertiser.com or call 529-4892.