The History Of Unicorn Tapestries The myth of the unicorn has been with us since ancient China and is usually depicted as a large horse with a single horn projecting from the forehead and it has been represented in the art and writings of many ancient cultures throughout Asia and Europe.

By the Middle Ages Christian Europe had endowed the unicorn with many symbolic qualities, both religious and secular. As well as representing purity and chastity it was often seen as a symbol for Christ.

Once accepted into Medieval Europe the unicorn quickly became an important element in art, including tapestries and textiles. The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, for example, represent the mythical beasts’ relation with purity, as well as the myth that the unicorn could only be tamed by a virgin.

During the Middle Ages tapestries were commonplace amongst the aristocracy, often being used to add color to drab interiors and provide warmth. The most common designs were biblical allegories, although with the rising prominence of unicorns in art they soon came to be used as subject matter.

The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries are among the most beautiful and captivating masterpieces of unicorn art. They were undiscovered …