Undisputed star of the collection is the exquisitely executed Lady with the Unicorn, displayed in a specially darkened, chapel-like chamber (room 13) on the first floor. Even if you don't like tapestries, it's quite simply superb. The richly coloured, detailed and highly allegorical series depicts the five senses, each tapestry featuring a beautiful woman flanked by a lion and a unicorn. Dating from the late fifteenth century, the tapestries were probably made in Brussels for the Le Viste family, merchants from Lyon, perhaps to celebrate the family acquiring its own coat of arms – three crescents on a diagonal blue stripe, as shown on the flags floating in various scenes. Each tapestry has a delicate red background worked with a myriad of tiny flowers, birds, plants and animals. In the centre, the richly dressed young woman takes a sweet from a proffered goblet (taste); plays a portable organ (hearing); makes a necklace of carnations (smell); holds a mirror up to the unicorn who whimsically admires his own reflection (sight); and strokes the unicorn's horn with one hand (touch). The final panel, entitled A Mon Seul Désir ("To My Only Desire") and depicting the woman putting away her necklace into a jewellery box held out by her servant remains ambiguous. Some authorities think it represents the dangerous passions engendered by sensuality – the open tent behind is certainly suggestive – others that it shows the sixth "moral sense" that guards against such sinfulness.The rest of the first floor is an amazing ragbag of carved choir stalls, altarpieces, ivories, stained glass, illuminated Books of Hours, games, brassware and all manner of precious objets d'art. Ecclesiastical gold and enamels fill room 16, notably some seventh-century Visigothic votive crowns and the delicate, long-stemmed Golden Rose of Basel, a papal gift dating from 1330. From room 17 onwards you're back in the Hôtel de Cluny section. The bright tapestries, beams and carved fireplaces make it possible to forget you're in a museum, especially in the hôtel's original Flamboyant chapel (room 20), which preserves its remarkable vault splaying out from a central pillar.
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