The Unicorn Tapestries [Hardcover]

I recall seeing these tapestries for the first time as a teen, when my high school class made a bus trip to the Cloisters Museum--deigned as a medieval castle--in the uppermost park in Manhattan. As I recall, I was on crutches at the time. Through the shallow, spiral stairs tested my coordination, however, the fabulous textiles, rich in color and mythology, completely distracted me from my injury.

I've been back a few times over the years to see these priceless treasures, and each time, they have induced silent awe.

Margaret Freeman's volume provides a great record of the collection, including fine pictorial details, and scholarly (but engrossing) explanations of the tapestry themes and motifs.

This is an art book you'll be happy to have.

One of the most beautiful, complex works of art that remain with us from the middle ages, the Unicorn Tapestries at the Cloisters Museum in New York City are a priceless treasure. Their monograph on the tapestries is a beautifully produced, meticulously researched, and well-written overview of the techniques used to weave them, the selection of colors, the symbolism of the figures and flowers, and the possible meaning of the entire sequence. To this day, no one knows for certain for whom they were woven and what they truly signify. If you haven't had a chance to see these wondrous tapestries in person, consider putting them on your list of things to do before you die. If you have been fortunate enough to make a visit, this book will certainly increase your understanding and appreciation of this masterpiece. We are fortunate to have them, though they probably truly belong in France or Belgium.

Whoo boy! This book is as complicated as it is gorgeous! Author and curator, Adolfo Salvatore Cavallo, writes clearly and the book is gloriously illustrated. This is the 1998 hardcover and from what I read here, quite a treasure compared to its little paperback brother.

It's complicated so let me break it down a bit for you. (Apologies if this review is too long.) These tapestries are currently housed in The Cloisters portion of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. There are 7 total tapestries which, combined, are 86 feet wide and 15 feet tall! One of the Images above shows a photo of but 2 of the tapestries at the Chateau de Verteuil in France from where they originated. (Sorry for its being black and white but the photo is from the last decade of the 19th century.) There are 2 stories going on that the tapestries illustrate: an allegory of the Passion of Christ and The Hunt of the Unicorn as Lover. I know...sounds weird. But these tapestries were woven between 1495 and 1505 at the height of Christian fervor, the strong hold of mythology and the great wealth of those who commissioned them.

I have included in Images above the Passion of Christ panels, a couple of The Hunt, including the 2 damaged fragments, and one of the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries which are NOT part of this set. (I include that because I mix them up and to show you how similar they all are because they were woven during the same era.) The Lady and Unicorn tapestries are also all featured in this book; they hang in a museum in Paris, however. Please see the Look Inside! feature above. I repeated some of those pictured just so you could see them in order. (The front cover of the book shows The Unicorn at Bay and the back cover shows The Unicorn in Captivity from The Hunt of the Unicorn as Lover.) If you're an ardent student, look at the notes I put on some of the Images to show some of the symbolism.

The tapestries are magnificent. It is astounding that they are in such good shape, particularly having escaped the ravages of The Terror of the French Revolution. Tapestries are weavings and not embroidery and on the enormous looms were warp threads (the vertical ones) made of wool and woven in were the weft (horizontal) threads made of wool, silk, silver and gilt (pure thinly pounded gold wrapped around silk). Scores of men (probably) made the tapestries, always in groups working at the same time on each one.

This book is magnificent because there are brilliant color photos of the entire tapestries and many close-up details of same everywhere, often times covering an entire leaf. I especially like something you wouldn't expect: Appendix 1 discusses the flora in the tapestries and Appendix 2 shows the fauna. Cool.

I'd give this 10 stars if I could.

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