Wall Tapestries from Europe

You have probably seen at least one of the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries though you may not know it. The Lady and Unicorn tapestry series has been a topic of discussion for years because no one can agree on the meaning of the scenes. Most people will agree that the tapestries represent the five senses and a culmination of the senses in the sixth tapestry. The big question is why is the Lady with the Unicorn to begin with?

Some people think that the Lady is trying to tame the unicorn, because as legend has it, only a virgin can tame a unicorn. Others think that the Lady is renouncing all the physical senses to become part of the spiritual realm of the unicorn. Upon close inspection of the unicorn tapestries, you can see the interesting details that support both sides of this conundrum.

In The Touch Unicorn Tapestry, we see the Lady standing with her left hand on the unicorn’s horn and her right hand holding her coat of arms flag. This stance appears somewhat aggressive, as though the Lady was prepared for battle. The three point stance also creates a sort of trinity, but not necessarily in a religious context. Her family’s coat of arms, herself, and the mystical wild unicorn create the entire tangible reality to the young woman. If we were to look at this from the spiritual perspective, perhaps the young woman is giving up the support of her family for a life of spirituality. The Touch could also illustrate the power of purity over the wild carnality of the sensation of touch. The unruly unicorn has been tamed by the touch of the Lady.

The Sound or The Hearing Unicorn wall hanging depicts the Lady playing an organ. This piece is also called Dame a L’orgue. Again, she is standing in a commanding position in front of the organ. The unicorn is calmed by the music and is lying down in the back of the scene. You can also see that the unicorn is holding up the Lady’s coat of arms in this scene, which could symbolize some sort of acceptance between the Lady and the Unicorn - a transition to the spiritual world from the physical world.

The Smell Lady and the Unicorn Tapestry depicts the young woman braiding a trail of carnations. Carnations were generally used to represent betrothal and loyalty. The unicorn is tamed by the scent of the flowers and by the purity of the Lady as she weaves them. Once again, the Lady is standing in a commanding position over the unicorn. This could illustrate the Lady’s unfinished journey toward spirituality - she is still on a different level than the mystical unicorn.

In The Taste Unicorn tapestry, the Lady is depicted reaching her hand into a bowl of fruit, possibly grapes. She is still attached the physical world, and still reaches for sustenance that she feels she needs. She is still in a standing position, but the unicorn is now rearing back on its hind legs. The unicorn is closer to her level, but she has yet to submit to the spiritual.

The Sight Unicorn tapestry is perhaps the turning point in the Lady and the Unicorn Tapestry series. In this scene, the Lady is seated with the unicorn resting on her lap. The Lady looks sad and distant, while the unicorn appears to be smiling. The Lady holds a mirror that reflects the unicorn’s face - as though she could not look directly at the unicorn, but needed to see the reflection to fully transcend into the spiritual. You can also see that the Lady’s coat of arms is no longer held by either her or the unicorn. The Sight unicorn tapestry shows the Lady’s full realization of giving up the physical for the spiritual. It could also simply represent the complete taming of the unicorn.

The final piece in the series is A Mon Seul Desir, or To My Soul Desire, which could depict either the Lady’s successful transition into the spiritual world or her failure at trying to transcend. In this scene, the lady is either giving or taking the chest of jewels. You cannot tell which from her facial expression or body position which she is doing. The tent behind the Lady appears to represent the culmination of desire. Since the Lady is outside of the tent, it could mean that she has not fully gone into the spiritual world. She is just outside, either trying to get in by giving away her jewels, or is banished to remain just outside because she could not resist the jewels.

If you would like to see the entire Lady and the Unicorn Tapestry Set, please visit The Tapestry Standard and look in our Unicorn tapestries section. We also very many different styles of each of the senses, be sure to see which matches your decor style.

Posted by admin under Tapestry History |