The Unicorn Tapestries: Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 32 ...

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Left: In The Start of the Hunt the cherry tree is prominently displayed near the seigneur and his fellow huntsmen. The cherry is often considered to be one of the trees in Paradise and also, because of the abundance of its fruit, a symbol of eternal life. Cherry trees are sometimes associated with the Virgin Mary: a popular medieval legend recounts how in the cold of winter a cherry tree miraculously blossomed and bore fruit when Mary and Joseph passed by it on their way to Bethlehem before the birth of Christ. On the other hand, the cherry has secular, * * *n * @ even erotlc, slgnlecance, smce m much medieval art the tree adorns scenes of love and revelry. Here it is likely that the tree stands for both celestial rewards and earthly delights. The seigneur- from his striped breeches to his jaunty hat - is surely a picture of medieval fashion at its most up-to-date, as is his elegant companion, who has a spear in one hand and a sword at his side. Right: Dogs are shown in nearly all the Cloisters tapestries. They were not only essential to the hunt, but also symbolized fidelity because of their devotion to their masters. According to fourteenth-century writer and hunting expert Gaston III, Count of Foix, two kinds of hounds were used: greyhounds, always ready to run "as swift as a fowl in flight," and running hounds that, says Gaston, "hunt all the day questing and making great melody in their language and saying great villainy and scolding the beasts that they chase." Both kinds of dog are present in the first tapestry: in the foreground is a pair of greyhounds whose keen sight made them indispensable in the hunt; above them are two running hounds, one sniffing the air, the other the ground. ( The brownish area at the bottom is restored. )
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Page 3 and 4: The Unlcorn Tapestr Based on a stud
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Page 22 and 23: The Fourth Tapestry: The Unicorn De
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Page 26 and 27: On the bank, in ironic contrasto th
Page 28 and 29: Fragments from the Fifth Tapestry:
Page 30 and 31: Roses were probably the best-loved
Page 32 and 33: The Sixth Tapestry: The Unicorn Is
Page 34 and 35: T he central figures in this detail
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Page 38: The Seventh Tapestry: The Unicorn i
Page 41 and 42: The carnation was often planted in
Page 43 and 44: poses, primarily to ease the pain o
Page 45 and 46: Above: These details show that the
Page 47 and 48: The disparities in design and weavi
Page 50 and 51: n . The History of the Unicorn Tape
Page 52 and 53: L Lacquer work. Arts of Ancient Chi
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