Tapestries were Flanders' main export product, and cities such as Oudenaarde and Brussels were important suppliers of the courts and the wealthy bourgeoisie. These wall hangings also bear witness to exceptional craftsmanship.
At certain moments in Oudenaarde's history, more than half of the population lived on the tapestry industry! Compared to other tapestry centers such as Brussels, Antwerp and Enghien, Oudenaarde even had the largest production in terms of quantity.
Today, Oudenaarde tapestries hang all over the world, but the MOU itself has a collection of 37 tapestries, of which 18 are on display.
...............................................................................................................................................................
Throughout the entire period of tapestry production, there are roughly two major genres, which naturally evolve over the decades in terms of approach and style: there are decorative and figurative tapestries.
There are also intermediate forms: decorative tapestries with lots of greenery, in combination with the representation of a story-with-characters. Many weavers in Oudenaarde and in other centers supply both genres.
Figurative series of tapestries depict stories with characters. These are primarily episodes from the Old Testament, but also from Greco-Roman mythology and history.
...............................................................................................................................................................
It is our wish to further expand the MOU and to give tapestry art an even more prominent place in the museum. After all, the tapestries form the core of the museum collection; the history of the tapestries determines the story of the city.
