While tapestry was at first considered a minor genre in the History of Art, this changes by the 18th century and the most skilled pieces become part of museums. In 1882 the Cluny of Paris decides to enrich its collection by acquiring the ensamble of The Lady and the Unicorn.

The set of tapestries represent the five senses. In the one corresponding to TOUCH, the Lady is standing in the middle, with open arms, holding the standard banner with her right hand while caressing the unicorn with the left one.  Here, the unicorn is smaller and the lion has pointy ears and exaggerated eyes. There's also two monkeys, one of them holding a parchment of paper, and other wild beasts: a wolf, a panther and a cheetah, tied with necklaces. The Lady uses a crown on her loose hair and is dressed with a velvet dress.

La Dame à la Licorne: le Toucher (end of 15th century)

Technique: tapestry / Measures: 370 x 330 cm

Musée de Cluny, Paris.

In the tapestry representing TASTE, the Lady delicately takes a candy from a basket carried by her maid and offers it to the bird she hold on her other hand. A monkey takes a fruit to his mouth. The whole composition is organised around the two women. Behind them, a wall of roses isolates the scene, creating a certain depth. The serene gestures of the ladies contrast with the dynamism and movement of the lion and unicorn, both wearing heraldic capes which seem to wave with the wind.  The background of "thousand flowers"  is full of animals, among which there's a baby unicorn with no horn. The dress and accessories of the Lady and her maid show care in detailing. 

In SMELL, the Lady appears braiding a garland of carnations she takes from a tray carried by her maid.  Behind them, a monkey smelling fruits enhances the meaning of the alegory. The lion and the unicorn seem static. The folded dress of the Lady shows her underwear. She's also wearing a tiara of precious stones and pearls. 

The Lady appears playing a small instrument in the allegory for HEARING, while her maid moves the bellows. The instrument is placed over an Oriental rug. 

The composition is overall crowded: the standards hide the flora and, due to the lack of space, the unicorn looks out of proportion. The Lady, quite concentrated, wears a dress rich in decorations. Her face is framed by two hair braids.

For the tapestry of SIGHT, the young Lady is shown caressing the unicorn with her left hand, while he contemplates himself in the mirror. Thus the unicorn becomes the main character, not just the bearer of the standard. The composition is framed by two trees and the only standard in the picture is carried by the lion, who seems lost in sight. The background animals look at each other, interacting with their glances.

Although there are five senses and all of them were represented with a tapestry, the set is made of six pieces. The last one is the biggest one in size and represents the sixth sense, inspiring many explanations. It's entitled "A mon seul désir" (my only wish) and it could refer to the Lady's renouncement of earthly pleasures for spiritual values. In the picture, the lion and the unicorn are shown lifting the curtains of a tent and, in the middle, the maid offers a chest to the Lady. Is she choosing a jewel? Or is she leaving in there the necklace she used in the tapestry for TASTE? 

The composition is pyramidal, broad and organised around the group of main characters in the center.  The moto on the tent is what gave this tapestry its title and it has raised many hypothesis and controversies. This piece seeks to make a metaphor of the sixth sense, which is much more related to the soul or spiritual world. However, in the Middle Ages, the heart was considered the agent of morals, but also of human love and desire. So the mythical unicorn can not be reduced here as a plain bearer of the standard, but, due to its ambivalence, as a figure of sexual connotation and chastity.

These tapestries called "millefiori" used to have a deep-less background, covered with flowers (like a sea of flowers) and animals, a kind of Eden. The set is considered, rightly so, one of the greatest masterpieces of Western Art.