About our museum collection
Collage of collection pieces. Photo: Floor Knaapen
The TextielMuseum manages a diverse collection of more than 26,000 objects in the areas of art, design and industrial heritage. From design classics and experimental fashion to historical machines, each object tells a unique textile story. The collection grows every year and when we make new acquisitions we pay special attention to innovation, sustainability and inclusiveness. On this page, you can read how the collection is structured and which stories are central to it.
Textile design
From tea towels and tablecloths to iconic design, the textile design collection shows the development of utilitarian textiles in the Netherlands from 1880 to the present day. Think AaBe blankets, Ploeg fabrics, Marcel Wanders' Knotted Chair or Tejo Remy's Voddenstoel. There is a strong focus on experimentation, technology and crossovers between design, art and fashion.
The modest fashion collection focuses mainly on sculptural designs developed in the TextielLab, such as work by Jan Taminiau, Winde Rienstra and Yamuna Forzani. The focus here is on innovative, sustainable fashion with a critical or activist edge.
Art
The art collection includes contemporary textile art, work from the 1960s to the 1980s and jewellery and objects made of textiles. Makers such as Jennifer Tee, Marian Bijlenga and Lam de Wolf are represented, as well as younger artists such as Mercedes Azpilicueta and Ada M. Patterson. The collection increasingly focuses on cross-media practices in which textiles are a connecting element.
Industrial heritage
This collection brings to life the history of the Dutch textile industry. You will find strike pamphlets and trade union banners, for example, but of course also old (weaving) machines and raw materials. Together, they show how the sector developed from craft to high-tech industry.
New & diverse
The museum annually acquires new work, often based on research and experiments in the TextielLab. Curators visit fairs, studios and exhibitions for this purpose. Besides quality and innovation, sustainability and inclusiveness are guiding principles. Attention is paid to underexposed stories, the colonial past and current themes such as identity and gender.
Collection assignments
Since the late 1990s, the museum has invited artists and designers to create special work for the collection, often in collaboration with the TextielLab. This resulted in special works by Peter Struycken, Formafantasma, melanie bonajo and patricia kaersenhout, among others. The commissions provide room for experimentation and exploration.
Want to know more?
We regularly offer an in-depth look at our huge collection in the blog series Hidden Stories, written by our curators. You can find these on our News page, under the ‘Collection’ filter.
Do you have a question? Send an e-mail to collectie@textielmuseum.nl
Collection online
A collage of collection pieces. Photo: Floor Knaapen
A large part of our collection is registered online and accessible to everyone. Explore and be amazed by the diversity of the objects, or search specifically for a collection piece using the filters (only available in Dutch) or the search bar.
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