LUNARIA: Madame Gévaudan

In 18th century France a series of unexplained and savage attacks were blamed on a gigantic monstrous wolf, who roamed the Margeride mountains and rural pastures in search of victims.

The beast was said to have an insatiable appetite for the flesh of infants and women, with unfortunate victims often found with their throats torn out.

Louis XV was prompted to send hunters forth with the aim of capturing and killing the beast, but it's identity was never satisfactorily explained.

Rumours circulating at court at the time of the attacks, suggest that the beast was believed to have been the visiting Madame Lunaria, who was widely rumoured to have shapeshifting abilities, and practised necromancy and other heathenish rites in an (apparently) deconsecrated chapel in the woods of the royal estate.

Shortly after the alleged capture of the wolf by Jean Chastel, she mysteriously vanished.

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Handmade textile art doll with fabric sculpted and handpainted details.

Leaping werewolf has hand embroidered forestscape with embroidered and beaded mountain range, topped by a towering castle. Wolf has external wire frame support with claws, fangs, and tongue and handpainted glass bead eye.

Lunaria has braided wool and yarn hair wrapped in hand dyed silk ribbons, handpainted face with crescent moon earrings (bone, glass and metal details), cotton scrim and ribbon details.

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SIZE: 13x15" approx. Braids hang longer beyond this point.

Mar/Apr 2026