Hunting of Birds with a Hawk and a Bow (from the Hunting Parks Tapestries)
This tapestry, with its rich colors, is packed with incidental details of animals, hunters, and shepherds. From a larger set of scenes that unfold within a hunting park, the main subject of this tapestry is bird hunting. Inside the enclosure, an archer aims for a bird perched high in a fruit tree. His companion to the left swings a lure above his head to retrieve the hawk that soars above the central tree. On the other side of the tree, a heron struggles in the clutches of a second hawk. A hunter uses a staff to vault the stream, his dog already ahead of him. A nearby shepherd has climbed the fence to watch the action.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.