Some weeks ago, whilst browsing for ideas for other people for Christmas, I saw a tapestry hanging on a wall on the stairs - I dont remember the subject, but something must have been hatching in the back on my mind.I love making things - be it knitting, sewing, baking, cooking or people happy. So browsing the internet one day I said to Simon that I fancied making a tapestry (never done one before.) Found this in the search and instantly knew what I was looking at, having read about them ( Tracy Chevallier novel, the Lady & the Unicorn). Simon thought I was off my trolly when I said quite excitedly that I want to do this one and the back ground to it, but I think there's something very relevant, as you can read below. So come Christmas day, you know what I'll be doing. The tapestry has arrived and is sitting under the tree.......I can't wait :-)
The lady and the unicorn and is part of a series of tapestries, which were woven in the middle ages. I believe that these were the first tapestries to be woven, rather than the ones which were sewn and two dimensional pictures. The artist was commissioned by a noble man and these tapestries were found in the late 1800's in a terrible condition in the Castle at Bussac, which is 40 minutes from La Maison Etoile. The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries are among the most beautiful art treasures of the world. They were woven in the medieval style of mille fleurs, a "thousand flowers." Since 1882 the tapestries have been housed in Paris in the once medieval cloister, the Musée de Cluny. The tapestries represent the six senses — Hearing, Sight, Touch, Smell, Taste, and Love and the artist is believed to have been in love with the daughter of his patron but unable to declare himself. to read the story attached to the tapestries click this link
