The Lady And The Unicorn Tapestry Wall Hangings - Dame a la Licorne Tapestries

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The Unicorn (from Latin unus 'one' and cornu 'horn') is a legendary creature whose power is exceeded only by its mystery. The Unicorn is a horse-type animal with a single horn. During the Middle Ages a fable was told that although the Unicorn was impossible to hunt down, it was so impressed by the presence of a lovely virgin that it would run up to her and submissively lay its head in her lap. Unicorn pictures were very popular in the Middle Ages.
The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries are a wonderfully delicate and enchanting set of six panels, which hung originally in the castle of Boussac. The tapestries show a lady and her handmaiden with a unicorn. Each of five panels represents one of the five senses: Smell, Hearing, Touch, Taste and Sight. The sixth panel, A Mon Seul Desir tapestry (To My Only Desire), shows the lady returning a necklace to a box held out by the maid. The title, which has been subject of much speculation in the past, is now taken to mean "only at my will", which is to say governed by reason not passion. These famous unicorn tapestries were woven c.1490-1500 and are now on display in the Musee de Cluny in Paris. Read more...