Medieval homes and palaces

Medieval homes and palaces were cold and draughty. With no means of insulation, the only heat provided would be from a fire, or a brazier, or a stove with a fire inside.

To keep houses warm, if you could afford it, fabric was hung on walls on hooks and pulled tightly across to keep out the cold. Middle-class homes used a painted cloth that could be different colours for each room or have a scene of daily life painted upon them. The nobility went a step further and had intricate tapestries hung upon the walls. Fabulously wealthy people could have all the walls in all the rooms of a house hung with tapestries. The best tapestries came from Flanders, especially from Bruges or Arras. These tapestries were not only for warmth; they were a status symbol. Henry VIII had over 2450 tapestries recorded in his inventory. Tapestries that came together were called a chamber or a suite, and these very often told a continuous story.

One of the best-known suites of tapestries is The Lady and the Unicorn. No one is sure who commissioned them, but the coat of arms of the Le Viste family can be seen on several of the pieces. And it is thought that Antoine Le Viste, a member of the French Parliament and a gentleman in Louis XII's household, may have had them made for his first wife, Jacqueline Roguier.

The suite consists of five tapestries, representing the senses of sight, taste, hearing, smell, and touch, and a sixth, called ‘Mon Seul Désir’, or My Only Desire. Although the colours have faded now, they were once a rich red with many flowers and animals in the background, in a style dated 1480–1520. They depict a young woman demonstrating the different senses in various activities. In the centrepiece, ‘Mon Seul Désir, she is seen either taking out or putting away a cache of jewels. It has been theorised that she is preparing to marry her beloved or is giving up her worldly goods to enter a convent.

Sources:

Medieval Mysteries: A Guide to History, Lore, Places and Symbolism, Karen Ralls

https://www.musee-moyenage.fr/en/