Medieval Millefleurs Oblong Silk Scarf*The Met Store Sale

$46.23

Gift her an art scarf from The Met.

The close tangle of flowering plants on this lush silk scarf comes from the millefleurs backdrop in The Unicorn Rests in a Garden (1495–1505), a remarkable French and South Netherlandish textile. A highlight of The Met Cloisters, this beloved medieval masterwork may have been created as a single image, though it’s considered one of the seven Unicorn Tapestries, which are among the most impressive extant artworks from the late Middle Ages. The unicorn likely signifies tamed love, as the pomegranate tree to which the creature is loosely tethered symbolizes marriage and fertility. Many of the plants represented, such as the wild orchid, bistort, and thistle, served as medieval fertility aids.