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MOU Museum Oudenaarde is housed in Oudenaarde’s richly decorated Gothic town hall, a remarkable building more than 500 years old. Each historic chamber has its own distinct atmosphere. Visitors can explore administrative rooms such as the aldermen’s chamber, with its historical and royal portrait gallery; the grand reception room or people’s chamber, adorned with historical murals; the guardians’ chamber, featuring eighteenth-century filing cabinets; the weighing room, which once housed the municipal scales; a chapel that now accommodates the restoration workshop; and countless other rooms, each adding to the building’s unique appeal.
Within this monumental setting, MOU presents the rich history of Oudenaarde. From the fifteenth to the eighteenth century, the city along the river Scheldt gained international renown for its tapestry production. The sixteenth century was a particularly prosperous period, when the manufacture and export of these luxury textiles flourished as never before. The museum’s tapestry collection is displayed throughout the town hall and the adjoining Cloth Hall. Its most important ensemble is the Alexander series, a set of five tapestries which were given to governor Alexander Farnese in 1582.
In addition to its tapestry collection, the museum houses one of the largest collections of historic silver in Flanders. The collection offers an overview of both functional and decorative European and local silverwork from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, with a particular emphasis on the Golden Age. Especially noteworthy is the remarkable variety of drinking vessels. On display are ceremonial tankards, guild cups and trick goblets, cups in the shape of animals, tazzi and cups crafted from exotic materials.