The Unicorn is Found is the latest in a set of seven tapestries which will adorn the walls of the Queen's Inner Hall at Stirling Castle. Crown © Historic Scotland
The largest of a series of hand-woven tapestries being created by Stirling Castle was unveiled on Friday.
The Unicorn is Found, an 11ft by 12ft weaving as part of a £2 million pound project, recounts the hunting and slaying of a unicorn in order to obtain its horn, which possessed mystical powers of purification.
Artists from West Dean College's Tapestry Studio have expertly weaved the recreations of 16th century tales. Crown © Historic Scotland
The tale is understood both as a story of courtly love and a woman’s capture of a man’s heart. It is also an allegory for the death and resurrection of Christ, based on medieval tapestries from the Low Countries, which are currently on display at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The tapestry recounts the hunt and slaying of a unicorn with magical powers. Crown © Historic Scotland
Experts from the Tapestry Studio at West Dean College in West Sussex expect to complete all seven tapestries by 2013.
