The Tapestries - Metropolitan Museum of Art

Left: The man wearing a brocaded
cloak may be the seigneur; he seems
to listen to advice *om the widb
eyed companion at his side. The
young man at the left vigorously
blows his hunting horn. It was important
for hunters to be familiar with
the calls designating different stages
of the chase. The one given here
probably warns that the quarry has
taken to the river.
Especially sinister is the fellow at
the right about to plunge his spear
into the unicorn. His face exudes
cruelty: brows curling diabolically
and pointed chin sharply jutting
forward.
Right: A huntsman unleashes a fresh
pair of greyhounds so they can join
the rest of the pack; notice the AE
insignia on one dog's collar. In the
shallow brook just below appears a
bittern, a rusty-breasted little bird.
To the nght of him is a pomegranate
tree. Its luscious ripe fruit, filled with
a multitude of seeds, is frequently
used by artists as a symbol of fertility.
According to some theologians the
pomegranate stands for Christ himself:
just as one must cut deeply into
the fruit to extract its precious juice,
so must one penetrate the innermost
suffering of Christ to comprehend the
sacrifice of his blood.