A Mon Seul Desir (To My Sole Desire
or My "Only" Desire)
One of the Lady and the Unicorn series.
These Medieval mille fleur tapestries dealt with courtly or country
life, mythology, allegory, heraldry and narrative themes. The
most celebrated example of the group is The Lady with Unicorn
series. It is part of the six originals on exhibit at the Cluny
Museum in Paris.
The background is a pinkish-red, studded with many varieties of
blooming plants, floral sprigs, fruit trees, and small birds and
animals. In the center of the tapestry is an ornate tent with
a bulbous turret similar to the tents seen in Constantinople during
that time.
Around the top support of the tent are the words "A Mon Seul
Desir" (meaning - to my soul desire.) The lady is in the
center of the tapestryand is being offered a chest of jewels by
her handmaiden. It was believed that only an innocent and virginal
girl could approach the Unicorn. The strength of the Lion and
the purity of the Unicorn are thought to symbolize marriage.
This tapestry depicts the choosing of the jewels. It is now believed
the series was woven toward the end of the 15th century and that
the Coat of Arms on the standards supported by the lion and unicorn
represents the LeViste family, the Lord of Boussac.
The azure diagonal stripe and the three crescents on a field of
red are depicted on the standard in all of the Lady and the Unicorn
series. Auberrt Le Viste was promoted to Auditory General in 1471
by Charles the Bold, then Duke of Burgundy.
There may be some remote connection with the story of Zizim, the
younger son of Mohammed II, who was said to have been banished
by Bajazet, and given refuge in France by the Lord of Boussac.
The lady in the unicorn series wears a turban enriched with pearls
and aigrette, perhaps a gift from Zizim. The ornately decorated
tent of middle eastern origin may also be linked to him as well.
The original piece sustained water damage in the lower portion
of the tapestry and this effect has been incorporated in this
reproduction. Typical reproductions of this tapestry are not woven,
ratherthey are finely hand printed on a woven fabric. The original
lady is twelve feet in height, therefore, the smaller reproduction
designs benefit from today's finely detailed hand printing process.
Only very large reproductions benefit from the jacquard weaving
process to show the fine detail of the original.
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