Musée de Cluny

Thanks to my student visa, I am technically considered a resident of the European Union.  Which means (or at least the part of most consequence to me) that I can get into a million and one museums for FREE.   That, combined with no class on Friday or Wednesday means I'm going to be exploring lots of Parisian museums.  While I love art, today I was feeling like I needed a little shot of history. So, I decided to check out Musée de Cluny aka the museum of the Middle Ages in Paris.

The Cluny Museum was originally intended to serve as a townhouse for Cluny Abbots but in reality held many famous tenants over the years, including Mary Tudor.  Built on top of ancient roman baths, it currently houses all of the Middle Ages religious paraphernalia you could ever hope to encounter.

If you aren't into the whole Jesus this, Virgin Mary that kind of museum tour, I would still encourage you to check this place out.  It really has some amazing artifacts, and for added finesse, apparently several chapters in Herman Melville's, Moby Dick were inspired by his visit to the Cluny Museum in 1849.  So you really can't lose, you'll either A. get your religious fix for the day, or B. write a book about whale harpooning after your visit to this Latin Quarter gem.

Crème de la Crème: 

1.  Rotonde de la dame à la licorne - Literally a series of tapestries featuring a girl, a unicorn, and a mischievous monkey.  15th century whimsy? Not exactly. In the middle ages, unicorns were a multifaceted (and non-fictional!) symbol.  They could represent religious devotion, or in this case, love and understanding.  This series of tapestries is probably the most famous attraction at the Cluny Museum.

2. Jewish Wedding Ring - 1300, Italy. Challah at ya! The only Jewish artifact in the wholeeeee place.

3. Elephant Ivory Figurines - These figurines were amazingly detailed and carved to perfection, but what I was most curious about when I saw them was how French people got their hands on elephant ivory in the 14th century!?

4. Narwhal's Tooth - This is not a joke, its really there.  Made extra famous by the fact that 13th century scholars thought this Narwhal tusk was a Unicorn horn....but you know, they also believed in transubstantiation.  Let's all be grateful for the enlightenment.

5. Christ on a Donkey- My personal favorite, apparently this statue was used as part of a Germanic tradition and was included in Palm Sunday processions.  Of course I appreciate other cultures and traditions but I'm including a picture of this thing so all you guys at home can understand why I had trouble keeping a straight face when I saw it...