#medieval period

Detail - The Unicorn is Attacked Tapestry, ca. 1495–1505 South Netherlandish Wool warp, wool, silk, silver, gilt wefts, courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

The unicorn has been a symbol in Art History since the early medieval period. It was believed to be a very powerful and fierce mythical creature with the body of a horse, the head of a goat and a long single horn. Although today we interpret depictions of a unicorn as being allegorical, many civilians living in medieval Europe believed they actually existed, superstition and fear like this was not uncommon.
The unicorn features most heavily in Christian art, and was seen to be deeply symbolic, as only a virgin could tame it.
One of the most famous depictions of the unicorn is the unicorn tapestries created in 1495-1505. This remarkable series would have only belonged to an extremely wealthy individual. This is because during this era tapestries were considered to be the highest form of art due to the lavish variety of materials and the skill and time required to create them. It was common practise among upper class society to commission religious art as a repentant display of their faith and morality.