MS M.1044, fols. 101v–102r

Gaston III Phœbus, Count of Foix
1331–1391

Livre de la chasse

Paris, France
ca. 1406–1407
381 x 290 mm

Bequest of Clara S. Peck, 1983

MS M. 1044
Page description: 

Preparing an Ambush
Since horses did not frighten game, they could serve as a cover for bowmen. According to the scheme, two horses were to follow each other so closely that the muzzle of one would touch the tail of the other, enabling the huntsmen behind them to get very close to his quarry. In the miniature, the horsemen and hunters are dressed in green, but the horses are not camouflaged with branches and the bows are not painted green, as Phoebus suggested. One of the horsemen points to the harts, who continue to graze, undisturbed by their presence. As the horses get closer to the harts, the bowmen take cover behind trees before shooting at the prey.

Credits: 

Image courtesy of Faksimile Verlag Luzern