Textiles: The Art of Mankind

Multifarious and ubiquitous, textiles are the global artform – every culture uses them, and since ancient times humans have used them to tell stories, express their individuality and celebrate our relationship with the natural world. This exhibition brings together a collection of colourful, beautiful and often unexpected objects – some of which have never been shown in the UK before – which show how we’ve used our ‘second skin’ throughout the centuries. Look out for an Egyptian wedding dress, ceremonial outfits from Japan, China, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Nigeria and India, hand-painted Chinese silk tapestry scrolls, an embroidered panel celebrating the lesbian and gay support of the 1980s miners’ strike and Aboriginal work.