Heraldic Panel with Arms of Lichtenfels and a Unicorn Hunt

c. 1515

Heraldic Panel with Arms of Lichtenfels and a Unicorn Hunt, c. 1515. Germany or Switzerland, 16th century. White glass with silver stain and pot metal; overall: 39.1 x 28.9 cm (15 3/8 x 11 3/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1954.149 The upper half of this panel shows a unicorn hunt reconfigured to represent the annunciation. Only a virgin could lure a unicorn who is seen here grasping the horn of the mythical beast; not far behind are the hunter and hounds. The Virgin here is the Virgin Mary and arriving to the scene is the angel Gabriel dressed as a hunter.