Evening star., 1942-07-25
Prayer Book Gives
Clue 10 Mystery Of
Unicorn Tapestries
Art Museum Treasures
Believed Woven in 1899
For Anne Of Brittany
BY JOHN SEELY,
Associated Press Art Editor.

NEW YORK. July 25.-The mys-
terry of the famous centuries -old
Unicorn Tapestries" has been
solved at last. to the satisfaction of
the Metropolitan Museum OF Art.
The world of art knows that the
tapestries. which cost John D.
Rockefeller. jr., more than one mil
lion dollars 20 years ago. are the
finest sequence In the Western Hem
isphere.
But nobody knew for whom or
where the tapestries were made
Now James J. Rorimer, who is the
Metropolitan's curator of medieval
art. is sure he has the answer.
TT seems so simple that I can't
understand why we have been so
blind" he said today.
Made for 1899 Marriage.
The tapestries were made, he is
convinced. for Anne Of Brittany,
possibly In celebra ton of her mar
riage to Louis XII OF France, her
second husband, In 1899. Some 20
experts to whom Mr.. Rodimer has
referred his research agree that he
probably Is correct.
The flrst clue came through pure
chance, from an article by Gertrude
Townsend which, In discussing a
Boston tapestry. remarked that a
precedent for the use Of cordeliers
-knotted cordS-in fashioning ini-
tials might be found In 4 prayer
book made for Anne of Brittany.
Two pages Of the prayer book
bore striking resemblance to the
cipher which appears an average Of
five times in each Of the six Uni
corn Tapestries" and once in the
two fragments Of q seventh tapestry
also owned by the Metropolitan.
Cord Worn by st. Francis.
This cipher is made up Of the let.
ters A and e, joined by the corde-
liere-the girdle Of knotted cord
worn by st. Francis Of Assist. Anne s
grandfather used the cord "a
q symbol Of his devotion to his
patron saint, and Anne herself used
1t In every possible way, even found
ing the chivalric order OF the DANES
de Ia Cordeliere and building the
Convent Of Notre Dame de Ia Oorde-
here at Lyons.
Once his eyes were opened, Mr..
Rorimer said, corroborative evi-
dence piled up. The A and = are
not only the first and last letters
OF Anne's name; they are also the
first and last letters Of her motto,
"A Ma vie," abbreviated as was
customary In medieval times.
Anne's expense accounts show she
was one Of the greatest collectors
Of tapestry in history.
Detailed Resemblance.
| Anne looked like the maiden
who captures the unicorn in the
nth tapestry; the resemblance car
ries down to such details as the
Breton headdress, q black mourn.
ing cap and jewelry. and the same
blue girdle appears In portraits and
| In the tapestries.
Even such q thing as Anne's pas
sionate love Of flowers Is an indi-
cation. for 10l kinds Of plants ap-
pear In the tapestries, as do Anne
and Louis flags and their colors.
Nearly years time and thou
sands Of miles Of travel have gone
into the investigation, Mr.. Rorimer
said.
But detective work OF this kind
keeps leading on and on. Now !
think we may even have discovered
how the tapestries reached the
hands Of their first recorded owner,
Ferdinand de Ia Rochefoucauld.
1T seems probable that Francis
got the tapestries when he married
Anne's daughter Claude and pre-
sented them to his godfather, who
was Ferdinand"