Tapestries have been used since at least Hellenistic times. Samples of Greek tapestries have been found in a good preservation state in the desert of Tarim Basin, dating from the 3rd century B.C.

Tapestry reached a new stage in Europe in the early fourteenth century A.D. The first wave of production originated in Germany and Switzerland. Over time, the craft expanded to France and the Netherlands.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, Arras, in France, was a thriving textile town. The industry specialized in fine wool tapestries which were sold to decorate palaces and castles all over Europe. Few of these tapestries survived the French Revolution, as hundreds were burnt to recover the gold thread that was often woven into them. The term "Arras" is still used to refer to a rich tapestry, no matter where it was woven.

By the 16th century Flanders had become the centre of European tapestry production, and in the 17th century Flemish tapestries were arguably the most important productions, with many specimens of the era still extant, demonstrating the intricate detail of pattern and color.

In the 19th century, William Morris resurrected the art of tapestry-making in the medieval style at Merton Abbey. Morris and his company successfully made countless series of tapestries for home and ecclesiastical uses, with figures based on cartoons by Edward Burne-Jones.

These tapestries are still made at the factory of Gobelins and a few other old European workshops, which also repair and restore antique tapestries.