Threads in Time
– From the National Tapestries to the Royal Tapestry

The Paris World’s Fair opened in an atmosphere of buoyant optimism in the spring of 1900. Europe stood on the threshold of a new century, and people were filled with enthusiasm and anticipation about the potential of new technology. Electric lights had already begun to illuminate city streets, railways were connecting cities more closely, and the telephone was revolutionising communication. Europe’s technological, scientific, and cultural achievements were proudly presented to the Fair’s visitors, and the future seemed boundlessly bright. A new type of modernity was emerging alongside this technological optimism. As a counterbalance to the harsh conditions of industrialised life, people turned their attention inward—towards the human psyche, the organic, and the intimate world of the home. This shift is expressed in one of the highlights of the Fair: tapestry. Many artists returned to a craft tradition with deep historical roots that drew inspiration from the Middle Ages as well as from ancient legends
and folktales.

The renewed interest in weaving at the turn of the previous century is closely linked to the English Arts and Crafts movement. William Morris, one of its founders, idealised medieval aesthetics and production methods as a counterweight to industrial mass production. His ideas resonated strongly in Norway, where the Middle Ages were regarded as a national golden age—a time when the country was an independent kingdom with significant political power and a rich cultural heritage. Leading this artistic renewal were figures such as Frida Hansen and Gerhard Munthe, who established textile art as a key vehicle for expressing national identity and reimagining the aesthetics of the Norwegian Middle Ages, with the addition of international trends and ideas. Together, they exhibited two monumental works at the 1900 World’s Fair—Sigurd and Baldwin and Entry into Myklagard. Celebrated as national treasures, the tapestries were renamed the National Tapestries (Riksteppene) and were later purchased for the Royal Palace.

The exhibition Threads in Time—from the National Tapestries to the Royal Tapestry presents a selection of tapestries from the Royal Collections that spans the period from the renaissance of tapestry weaving in Norway in the 1890s to the years following the Second World War, after peace had been restored. These works—acquired both as gifts and as purchases—primarily hang in the Royal Palace and the Royal Lodge (Kongsseteren). Each tapestry offers a woven narrative of identity, international influence, and royal patronage.

(From the catalogue introduction, written by Sandra Lorentzen.)

Published for the exhibition
Threads in Time—from theNational Tapestries to the Royal Tapestry

Exhibition Location: Queen Sonja Art Stable
13 February to 6 December 2026

The design project includes thr catalogue, promotional material and ads.

The Royal Collections
The Royal Court

© Det kongelige hoff/The Royal Court 2026
ISBN 978-82-8106-048-7
2026
20 x 25 cm
128 pages
Language: Norwegian/English

Curators of the exhibition and editors of the catalogue:
Sandra Lorentzen/Kaja Maria Ranveig Hjort

Texts by:
H.K.H. Kronprinsesse Mette-Marit
Anne Britt Ylvisåker
Sandra Lorentzen
Adine Lexow

Proofreading and translation:
Kjersti Velsand (norsk)
Carol B. Eckmann (engelsk)

Design: Halvor Bodin
Repro: Øivind Möller Bakken/Halvor Bodin
Printer: TS Trykk, Oslo
Bookbinder: Bokbinderiet Johnsen
Typography: Displaay Tobias
Paper: MultiArt Silk, 170 g/m²
Paper, cover: Algro Design Advanced, 350 g/m²

Photography:
Øivind Möller Bakken, De kongelige samlinger and more, credited in the catalogue.