Highly Coveted: Massive Antique Tapestries as Wall Art

Tapestries, oh my! Such a beautiful way to pay homage to past centuries — 17th, 18th, even 19th — landscape tapestries can easily dominate the room. These wall-spanning antique tapestries feature rich, figurative motifs not unlike those you might find in an oil painting (landscapes, hunting scenes, perhaps a coronation or battle). Painstakingly handwoven on looms, they are intended to be mounted on a wall — It works as a mural, covering the wall in a scene that creates a separate ethereal world to step into, almost. And we can't get enough! See some selected favorites below as well as British decorator talent Rachel Chudley, who dishes on the best tips and tricks to purchasing a tapestry.

Purchasing Tips

If you’re buying the real thing—whether it’s at auction, from an antiques dealer, or on a site like Chairish or 1stdibs — Chudley advises to “look for signs of age, signs of the hand that made it, interesting scenes, and pleasing color combinations.” As for hanging, she suggests mounting it on a simple pole, as she did in her London project. “It gives you the flexibility to move the piece around—you may want to hand these special pieces down as family heirlooms. It also gives a carefree, lived-in impression.” And for cleaning? Says Chudley, “Other than dusting, send the tapestry to a professional if you want to clean it.”

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