Art Institute of Chicago

Bear Hunt and Falconry from a Hunts series

Franco-Flemish

Date

c. 1525

Medium

Wool and silk; slit and single and double dovetailed tapestry weave Warp: Count: 5–6 warps per cm; wool: S-ply of two Z-spun elements; diameter: 1.0 mm Weft: Count: varies from 16 to 24 wefts per cm; wool: S-ply of- two Z-spun elements; pairs of S-ply of two Z-spun elements; diameters: 0.3–1.5 mm; silk: three yarns of S-ply of two Z-twisted elements; diameters: 0.4–0.6 mm

Culture

Belgium

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This scene, the center section of a larger tapestry, depicts the dramatic pursuit of a bear, with falconers conducting a much tamer hunt in the background. Enthusiasm for hunting was widespread among the European aristocracy, and this popular pastime was a common subject for late medieval tapestries. Hunting was not simply a diversion for the privileged, but was also fundamental to the education of a nobleman, testing his intellectual and physical prowess. Hunts, which often took place over several days, were social occasion for both men and women. The women were often spectators, as this tapestry shows.

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