Wall hangings have added color and aesthetic beauty to homes and walls for many years. In earlier times wall hangings or tapestries had religious or historical significance. Traditional wall hangings are available in ethnic colors and have heavy detail and designs on them.

Wall hangings have been used ever since Hellenistic times. Illustrations of Greek tapestries were discovered in the desert of Tarim Basin dated from 3rd to 2nd century BC. In the early fourteenth century wall hangings reached a new stage in Europe. Mass productions of wall hangings began in Germany and Switzerland. The craft eventually spread to France and Netherlands. Arras in France specialized in fine wool tapestries which were used to decorate castles all over Europe. Unfortunately very few of the Arras wall hangings remain today since most of them were burnt during the French revolution to obtain the gold threads woven into them. In the 16th century Flanders emerged as the center of tapestry production. Nowadays wall hangings are still made at factories. A few weavers still practice the craft as a hobby. Original one-of-a-kind wall hangings have become extremely rare.

Wall hangings are not necessarily made of cloth. Even scroll paintings or calligraphies are used as wall hangings. They proposed art is mounted on a flexible backing with fabric edges. This makes the hanging easier to roll. Wall hangings are displayed as an enhancement to the décor of a room. There are two varieties of wall hangings. They can be displayed vertically as well as horizontally.