I just bought a smaller print of this tapestry.I'm enchanted bythe narrative of The Unicorn Tapestries displayed at The Cloisters, the branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe.
I plan to frame and display it in a future "master" bedroom.
The reason, you ask?
Read this from the museum's description:
"In this instance, the unicorn probably represents the beloved tamed. He is tethered to a tree and constrained by a fence, but the chain is not secure and the fence is low enough to leap over. The unicorn could escape if he wished but clearly his confinement is a happy one, to which the ripe, seed-laden pomegranates in the tree—a medieval symbol of fertility and marriage—testify. The red stains on his flank do not appear to be blood, as there are no visible wounds like those in the hunting series; rather, they represent juice dripping from the bursting pomegranates above. Many of the other plants represented here, such as wild orchid, bistort, and thistle, echo this theme of marriage and procreation: they were acclaimed in the Middle Ages as fertility aids for both men and women..."
Sorta tender and sweet? Yes.
2 comments:
wow I love it! I just might get one myself! great find!
Cool---I love things that not only look great, but have symbolism (even if it's just personal symbolism).
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