Exhibition: Common Threads
Event essentials
| From | 12 August 2025 at 10:00 AM |
| To | 16 October 2025 at 5:00 PM |
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For years it was believed that Packwood House’s Two Women fragment and the Achilles fragment displayed at Selly Manor were part of the same larger tapestry - but is this true?
From the biblical, mythological subjects and greenery motifs, it is likely that both tapestry fragments were made in Oudenaarde in the southern Netherlands. Now part of modern Belgium, it was an important tapestry manufacturing centre.
Selly Manor holds elaborate, intriguing, and beautiful examples of Tudor and Stewart furniture and objects. Assembled at the beginning of the 20th century by Laurence Cadbury, the collection brings the museum to life. In the same period, Graham Baron Ash was restoring, furnishing, and decorating Packwood House. With so many similar objects and artefacts, this exhibition will explore the connections and motivations of the collectors.
This is an opportunity to see the two tapestries displayed side by side for the first time in living memory and explore other objects from the collection and their parallels to those at Packwood House.
The Great Hall at Packwood House
Minworth Greaves - Medieval Hall at Selly Manor Museum
The Packwood House Team visiting Selly Manor with their tapestry fragment, Two Women
Exhibition dates:
Tuesday 12th August - Thursday 16th October 2025
Opening times:
Tuesday - Sunday, 10am - 5pm (August)
Tuesday - Friday, 10am - 5pm (September and October)
Cost and Booking
Exhibition included in entry to the museum. Normal admission applies: Adults £6, Concessions £5, Children £4.
Accessibility
The exhibition takes place in Selly Manor, which has steep stairs and uneven floors. You will find detailed information about accessibility on the Your visit section of our website. If you would like to know more or discuss accessibility, then please call the Selly Manor Museum team on 0121 472 0199.