The Unicorn Rests in a Garden or The Unicorn in Captivity
Dublin Core
Title
The Unicorn Rests in a Garden or The Unicorn in Captivity
Subject
Tapestry
Tapestry, Medieval
Tapestry--France
Description
1. Section of "The Unicorn Rests in a Garden" tapestry featuring wild arum, orchid, and thistle.
2. "The Unicorn Rests in a Garden" may have been created as a single image rather than part of a series. 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. Clearly, however, 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 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. Even the little frog, nestled among the violets at the lower right, was cited by medieval writers for its noisy mating."- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
2. "The Unicorn Rests in a Garden" may have been created as a single image rather than part of a series. 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. Clearly, however, 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 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. Even the little frog, nestled among the violets at the lower right, was cited by medieval writers for its noisy mating."- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Source
The Unicorn Tapestries collection from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1937
Date
1495-1505
Rights
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Relation
Format
Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts
Overall: 144 7/8 x 99 in. (368 x 251.5 cm)
Type
object; tapestry
Identifier
Accession Number: 37.80.6
Coverage
Paris, France (cartoon)
Southern Netherlands (woven)
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Tapestry
Files
Citation
“The Unicorn Rests in a Garden or The Unicorn in Captivity,” Petals and Pages, accessed May 20, 2024, https://www.petalsandpages.ds.lib.uw.edu/items/show/39.