The Lady and the Unicorn

Touch

 

Sight

 

Taste

 

Smell

 

Hearing

 

To my one desire

 

Little is know about the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. They were woven in c.1500, probably in Flanders. In 1841, they were rediscovered in very poor condition in Boussac. they were purchased and restored in 1882 by the French government for the Musee de Cluny in Paris (now the Musee National du Moyen-Age), where they still hang today. Among other things, the tapestries represent the five senses. Each tapestry is usually referred to by the sense it depicts: Taste (Le Gout ), Touch (Le Toucher), Smell (L'Odorat ), Sound (L'Ouie ) and Sight (La Vue). The sixthe - which either introduces or concludes the series - is known as A Mon Seul Desir (To My One Desire), for the words woven into it.