The Unicorn Purifies Water (from the Unicorn Tapestries)

French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)

1495–1505

On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 17

In this tapestry the unicorn kneels before a tall white fountain that has a pair of pheasants and a pair of goldfinches perched on its edge. Other animals both exotic and native to Europe lounge about, while twelve hunters in the back of the scene discuss the discovery of their quarry. Flora and fauna play a significant role in the narratives of the Unicorn Tapestries. Plants prescribed in medieval herbals as antidotes to poisoning, such as sage, pot marigolds, and orange, are positioned near the stream, which is being purified by the unicorn's magic horn.

Artwork Details

Title: The Unicorn Purifies Water (from the Unicorn Tapestries)
Date: 1495–1505
Geography: Made in Paris, France (cartoon); Made in Southern Netherlands (woven)
Culture: French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)
Medium: Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts
Dimensions: Overall: 145 x 149in. (368.3 x 378.5cm)
Classification: Textiles-Tapestries
Credit Line: Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1937
Object Number: 37.80.2
Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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The Hunters Enter the Woods (from the Unicorn Tapestries), Wool warp, wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts, French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven) — The Hunters Enter the Woods (from the Unicorn Tapestries)
French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)
1495–1505

The Unicorn Defends Himself (from the Unicorn Tapestries), Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts, French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven) — The Unicorn Defends Himself (from the Unicorn Tapestries)
French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)
1495–1505

The Hunters Return to the Castle (from the Unicorn Tapestries), Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts, French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven) — The Hunters Return to the Castle (from the Unicorn Tapestries)
French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)
1495–1505

The Unicorn Crosses a Stream (from the Unicorn Tapestries), Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts, French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven) — The Unicorn Crosses a Stream (from the Unicorn Tapestries)
French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)
1495–1505

The Unicorn Rests in a Garden (from the Unicorn Tapestries), Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts, French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven) — The Unicorn Rests in a Garden (from the Unicorn Tapestries)
French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)
1495–1505

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