Musee de Cluny, Paris
The galleries below are divided by the type of item they contain. These are the Unicorn Tapestries, Stained Glass and Medieval artefacts.
Located in a 15th Century medieval townhouse in the centre of Paris, which was once the residence of the Abbots of Cluny, is the exclusively medieval museum of Musee de Cluny. It was founded in 1843, but this historical museum has many parts, as well as being a well preserved medieval building, with a large collection of medieval artefacts the museum also houses part of an intricate system of Roman baths dating from the 1st century.
The Lady and the Unicorn Tapestries
Read more about the tapestries at the bottom of this page.
13th century stained glass
15th Century Stained Glass
A small selection of the items in the museum.
The Lady and The Unicorn Tapestries
While the whole of the museum is an amazing collection of medieval art and craftsmanship, its crowning glory must be The Lady and the Unicorn Tapestry’s.
The first mention of the tapestries dates from 1814, in a description of the Chateau de Boussac in central France. They were acquired by the museum in 1882 after lengthy negotiations. The tapestries themselves date from the late 15th Century.
The Lady and Unicorn tapestries are a group of six tapestries, each of a different size as they were made to fit a particular room that they would have been custom ordered for. Five of them represent the five senses and the sixth being a bit of a mystery.
Touch: In this tapestry the lady is holding the banner in one hand and the unicorn’s horn in the other. The lion and the unicorn each have a shield with the Le Viste arms. The animals in the background depict rabbits, falcons, herons, partridge, pheasant and two monkeys of different species, with one of them being chained to a roller. There are also two spotted animals, possibly a cheetah and a leopard, both war collars. The lady wears a blue velvet gown lined with ermine and trimmed in gold thread and precious stones. Her tiara holds back her long flowing hair. She also wears a necklace and belt with long pendant.
Taste: The lady again appears in the centre but has a gloved hand that holds a parrot, while the other hand picks out titbits from a dish held by a companion to feed the parrot. The lion and unicorn again wear a coat of arms but this time it is on their cloaks, as well as the banners which they hold. The front monkey mimics the lady’s gestures while eating fruit. Other animals include rabbits, dog, lamb, fox, genet, magpie, falcon, monkeys and lion cub. The small pet dog sits on the lady’s train and is shown differently to the hunting dog.
Smell: This tapestry’s composition is similar to Taste but the lion and unicorn are rearing and now wear shields. The maidservant how holds a plate of carnations. The lady is focused on making a crown of flowers, while behind her the monkey sniffs a rose. The dresses of the lady and her maidservant are pinned up to reveal the underskirt. The lady wears a necklace with flower motif. Her gown is stuffed with stones and pearls, just above her wrist she wears bracelets as we would today which are studded with stones and pearls. Her headdress is adorned with rows of pearls and trimmed with precious stones. The maidservant has her hair tied up with ribbons behind her cloth headband.
Hearing: The lion and unicorn now face out of the tapestry but still hold their banners and standards. The lady appears absorbed in her playing and wears a blue dress with a pinafore cut low over her hips. The fabric is similar to those of the other tapestries; it is decorated with pomegranate motifs and trimmed with borders studded with pearls and precious stones. Her hair is raised up into a plume at the top of her head and contained in a net covered with a loose band, while her companion wears a short veil. The lady’s necklace is set with large precious stones and has little flower shaped pendants. Her companion’s necklace is a long chain with a rosette pendant. The lady plays a portable organ and stands on an oriental carpet. The animals in the tapestry include rabbits, foxes, a dog, a lamb, a falcon and a bird that resembles a duck.
Sight: Here the lady is shown seated in this tapestry while she holds a mirror up for the unicorn to see its reflection. The banner is still raised by the lion who looks away. She pet’s the unicorn affectionately, who rests his front legs on the woman’s raised dress which Is made of pomegranate and silk pattern seen in other tapestries. The lady’s underskirt is shown. Her hair is again in a plume style, while she wears a double-cabled necklace with pearl pendants. The mirror the lady holds for the unicorn is a made of gold-work and edged with small cut-out leaf motifs set with blue stones. The lady looks at the unicorn while the unicorn contemplates his reflection in the mirror. The animals in the foreground also appear to be exchanging looks.
Mon Seul Desir: (My Desire Alone) This tapestry differs from the five others in many respects. Firstly there is now a tent in the background ,which is held open by the lion and the unicorn, while they still hold their banner and standard. There is also a inscription at the top which gives the panel its name. This is also the largest tapestry in the collection. We see many of the same animals again from the other tapestries but with the addition of a young goat. The lady here is choosing a piece of jewellery, or perhaps she is placing it into the box. The meaning of this sixth tapestry has been the subject of much debate. It is suggested that is represents the sixth sense, possibly intelligence, or the heart. The heart in the middle ages, was both the seat of moral life and the source of free will. It was also connected to passion and carnal desire, so possibly there is a courtly reading for this tapestry as well.