Stunning medieval tapestries

A mon seul desir 

Like the tapestries that inspired the author Tracey Chevalier to write her novel, "The Lady and the Unicorn" is a complex inter-weaving of various strands that make up a magnificent whole. I loved the book (I first read "The Girl With the Pearl Earring" and envisioned it as a beautiful film - which of course it was later) and since then I have not missed any of her novels.

So, when the opportunity came to visit Paris recently (my close friends were getting married there), I made a beeline for the Musee de Cluny, also known as the Musee du Moyen Age, to see the tapestries in real life.

Nothing could have prepared me for the breathtaking view of the six tapestries hung in a special oval room which uses special lighting so as not to cause damage to the threads. They literally took my breath away because they could almost have been woven yesterday, so stunning are the colours. First created around the end of the 15th Century, they have apparently been restored several times since they were found in 1841 languishing in a French chateau. Then, in 1975 they were restored to their former glory.

The mystery surrounding the tapestries such as who they were woven for and why, and the huge amount of symbolism seen in them, were what inspired Tracey Chevalier to write about them. The background and more pix can be seen on her website.