The history of tapestries began a long time ago: the most ancient exemplars that are still conserved date back to ancient Egypt and to late Hellenistic Greece.

Nowadays the production of tapestries is not very widespread, and there are only small production centres dealing with the realisation of tapestries and the restoration of the ancient ones. However, in the past tapestries were a very popular form of art, and these peculiar works of art, which cannot be simply defined as furnishings, were realised all over the world, from Japan to America. We do not know precisely where and when the habits of weaving tapestries to be hung on the walls began, as these handiworks were realised with materials that are easily perishable, notably after a long time, but some of the most ancient exemplars that we still have reveal us that people used to weave tapestries in the ancient Egypt and in the late Hellenistic Greece. Another evidence of the realisation of tapestries in ancient times is given by an ancient vase dating back to the 4th century b.C. that was found in Chiusi, and that represents Penelope with a frame while she is weaving a tapestry. The origin of tapestries is close to the origin of carpets, since the most ancient carpet that has been found, the well-known Pazyryk carpet, dates back to 500 b.C.

Although tapestries are definitely to be seen as works of art, in the beginning they had another important function: exactly like carpets were used to warm the floor, in the same way tapestries were used to insulate walls against the cold, beside having a fundamental decorative function. Moreover, tapestries had more advantages than other forms of art, like frescos, as they could be moved without difficulty and, in case of fires or plundering, they could be salvaged more easily.

Although they have such an ancient origin, in Europe tapestries began to be really widespread only in the 14th century a.D., in Germany and Switzerland first, and then in France and in the Netherlands, where the art of making tapestries reached the heights of success in the Renaissance. In that period this special form of art could take advantage from the work of very famous artists, like Raphael, who realised the cartoons, the models in actual size which are necessary to create a tapestry.

The decline of tapestries began at the end of the 18th century, along with the development of the industrial production and the resulting increase in the labour costs: many tapestry workshops all over Europe had to close, and nowadays there are only few tapestry production centres. Unlike carpets, which are still considered as fundamental furnishing and are to be found in almost every house, tapestries are seen more like precious and ancient objects, that can be admired in some historic palace or on the walls of some museum. However, this does not mean that people are not interested in this form of art anymore: perhaps tapestries are not seen as furnishings for everyone and for everyday, but they are still a form of art and expression that is much appreciated by many contemporary artists.