unicorns do exist

Support the creation of a new bespoke display case for the narwhal tooth

Until 29 February 2024, join our donation campaign to help us fund a new bespoke display case for the narwhal tooth to allow us to present it once again, permanently, in the room of the famous "Lady and the Unicorn" tapestries.

A bespoke display case for the narwhal tooth

The total cost of this operation is approximately €45,000. The study phase, which is currently under way, is being covered by the museum, which is seeking €35,000 for the production and installation of this unique display case.

The narwhal tooth has not been on display since 2018. The previous display case no longer fulfilled the requirements of the Musée de Cluny's new museography, following the major renovation work completed in 2022. This funding operation will equip the "Lady and the Unicorn" room with a new, suitable and permanent display case, while providing optimal preservation conditions for the ivory.

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This display case is designed by Studio Gardère, which is responsible for the study phase and for overseeing production. It consists of several complex technical elements which explain its cost:

• A bespoke display case, over 3 metres high, 4 sides including 2 (front and back) in anti-reflective treated glass and 2 (the sides of the display case) in powder-coated metal, with a removable part for opening and maintenance;
• A discreet lock and hinge system to lock the display case
• Several integrated micro-spotlights to ensure the piece is properly lit.

The return of the narwhal tooth to the "Lady and the Unicorn"room will only add to the wonder surrounding the famous tapestries. This spectacular object, material proof of the existence of unicorns in the Middle Ages, also helps to evoke the wealth of symbolism surrounding this extraordinary animal, which to this day has never ceased to fascinate and spark the imagination. 

An iconic piece from the collections of the Musée de Cluny

The narwhal tooth is one of the most iconic objects in our collections. Once admired for its impressive size – at 2.21 m long – and magical properties, it is now held in the museum’s storerooms, awaiting a new bespoke display case.

It was entrusted to the Musée de Cluny in 1918, having originally come from the Treasury of Saint-Denis Abbey. In medieval times, the narwhal tooth was believed to be the horn of a unicorn, the mythical animal, making it a rare and coveted object, and every major secular or ecclesiastical treasury had to have at least one.

Originally held in the treasury of the abbey, it was moved to the Saint-Louis chapel in the 17^th century. It is not known exactly what happened to this horn during the French Revolution, but in 1794 it was successively entrusted to the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle and then the Bibliothèque nationale de France, before being permanently added to the collections of the Musée de Cluny in 1918.

From unicorn horn to narwhal tooth

The enduring fame of the unicorn throughout the centuries is no doubt due to its unique morphology – its single horn – and the extraordinary powers attributed to it until at least the late 16^th century. Described and depicted in various ways in texts and iconography, this horn became long, straight and twisted during the 12^th century.

Throughout the medieval period and beyond, the unicorn horn was seen as a veritable panacea. It can detect poison and purify poisoned food or drink. It kept demons away and protected against the forces of Evil. Taken as a powder or tea, it could also cure all illnesses and fight all venoms.

All these miraculous virtues made it a particularly coveted wonder of nature, figuring prominently on princely tables, in church treasuries and among remedies sought by all. Selling for more than gold, its mythical origins only added to its price. The unicorn was considered an extremely rare and difficult animal to catch.   

Unicorn horn therefore quickly became the focus of a lucrative and prolific trade that reached its peak at the end of the Middle Ages.

It was not until the 16^th century that some began to doubt the actual virtues of these horns and question their true origin. Ambroise Paré, first surgeon to the King, in his Discourse on the Mummy and the Unicorn (1582), questioned the remarkable properties attributed to the unicorn horn, without however questioning the existence of unicorns themselves. Based on experiments conducted with unicorn horns – including the one from the Treasury of Saint-Denis – he sought to combat persistent superstitions by demonstrating that they were either fake unicorn horns or that they clearly had no power or particular virtue, contrary to the fabulous promises made by charlatans and greedy merchants. 

Similarly, in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, several expeditions were led to the seas of the North, to Iceland and Greenland. From then on, the theory of the unicorn horn was definitively abandoned in favour of a narwhal tooth, a large marine animal living in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. With an incisor that develops into a twisted horn that can be up to 2 or 3 metres long, the narwhal has long been considered as a sea unicorn.

Your tax deductions and counterparties

In accordance with the Aillagon law of 1 August 2003, private donors benefit from a tax deduction of 66% of the amount of the donation, up to a limit of 20% of the taxable income. The tax reduction applies only if you pay tax in France.

Join our donation campaign

For example, a donation of 100 euros actually costs you 34 euros, after tax deduction, and you can benefit from the following counterparties :

For further information, you can contact the Sponsorship Department:
By email: mecenat-museedecluny@culture.gouv.fr
By telephone: +33 (0)1 53 73 78 15 or +33 (0)1 88 47 93 49