Tapestries

The MOU has even more of Oudenaarde’s rich history on display. And you can take that literally, as the meandering museum trail takes you to the heyday of the weaving crafts. From the 15th to the 18th century, the Scheldt city caused an uproar in tapestry art. Especially in the 16th century, the production and worldwide export of this luxury product enjoyed prosperous times. Oudenaarde was one of the most important centres of the carpet industry alongside Arras, Tournai, Brussels, Ghent and Bruges.

Chauvinism in moderation never hurt anyone. The quality of Oudenaarde tapestry belongs to the absolute top in Flanders. The notorious product is recognizable by a unique mark. The speciality of the region, the so-called 'verdures' tapestries, are known far and wide.

The city is steadily expanding its own collection of tapestries. In 2019, the city council brought another lost treasure home. A rare and historical scene from the series ‘The history of Alexander’ dating back to 1582. The work was auctioned off in New York and can now be seen in the MOU city museum.

Tip: on Tuesday, Wednesday morning and Thursday you can follow the restoration process of the tapestries, from start to finish, through demonstrations.