The Lady and the Unicorn (La dame à la licorne) - Easter 2002

A mon seul désir (My sole desire)

Some could argue that these are the most beautiful tapestries in the world. I know when I first saw them, it was a profound and an emotional experience. I have reproductions at home in Australia, I have read about them and, basically, have always wanted to see the real thing.

I got my first chance when my husband took me to Paris for Easter in 2002. La dame à la licorne (The Lady and the unicorn) tapestries can be found at the Musée de Cluny, officially known as the Musée National du Moyen Âge(Museum of the Middles Ages) at 6 Place Paul Painlevé, south of the Boulevard Saint-Germain, between the Boulevard Saint-Michel and the Rue Saint-Jacques - not all that far from Notre Dame.

http://www.musee-moyenage.fr/ang/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musee_de_Cluny

The Museum is a real gem, not many tourists go there, so you can usually wander around without the crowds.

The tapestries themselves are in a special room all to themselves. The lighting is kept low to protect from fading the colours.

There are six tapestries in all. It is commonly accepted that five of them represent the five senses (taste, hearing, sight, smell and touch) and the sixth, A mon seul désir (My sole desire) represents desire/love/self.

It is estimated that they were made in the late 15th century for a noble family (Le Viste). They were lost until they were rediscovered in 1841 and eventually given to the Musée de Cluny in 1882. During the time they lay undiscovered they were damaged and while they have been renovated, it is obvious, when you see them, that the new pieces are not up to the standard of the originals.

The tapestries are done in the style of mille-fleurs(thousand flowers), a popular style at the time. The tapestries have a background of a rich red, with animals and flowers surround the 'islands' where the main focus is.

On each island is a different tableau featuring a lady, her maid and, of course, the unicorn. A lion and other animals also feature, but it is the lady and the unicorn that remain the central theme.
Their beauty is staggering, and I can honestly say that when I first saw them, I cried, just to be finally there in front of them. Photos do not do the tapestries justice, the richness of the colours and the detail can only be truly appreciated in person.

Now, I'm not an expert on these tapestries, so if you want more detailed information I have attached some great online resources below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_and_the_Unicorn

http://www.licornedecluny.com/GBpages/docdamlicornGB.htm

I have been back a couple of times to see them - their beauty never fails to move me and frankly, I could sit in the room at the museum and look at them for hours (much to my husband's impatience, sometimes).

If you are in Paris, go hunt them down, you will never regret going to see them.

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Touch

Sound

Smell

Sight

Taste

Note: These photos were taken by my husband and I at the museum, because of the lighting and the (rightly) ban on flash photography, they are not the greatest. For clearer images of the tapestries go to the links above.