Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Mouzon felt museum is dedicated to the history and manufacture of wool felt, a textile used for 8000 years, including in Turkey, Afghanistan and Mongolia. The oldest remains, dated 6500-6300 B.C., come from the Neolithic town of Çetal Höyük. This impermeable and economical material has traversed the centuries thanks to its unique properties, linked to the felting of wool fibres under the effect of heat, humidity and friction.

The museum settles in the old stables of Notre-Dame de Mouzon, in the city centre. He paid tribute to the Sommer factory (founded in 1880), the last French industrial felt factory, which exploited the Meuse's hydraulic power. The site combines industrial heritage, ethnological collections (like a century-old Anatolian yurt) and contemporary creations, illustrating the diversity of uses of felt, handicrafts and modern art.

Created in 1987 by the municipality, the museum exhibits three main themes: the history of felt (with oriental pieces), its industrial manufacture (reconstituted production chain) and its contemporary applications (mode, design, art). He organizes temporary exhibitions, such as those of Jean-Michel Othoniel (2008) or Françoise Hoffmann (2011), and offers participatory workshops. Labeled Museum of France, it was renovated in 2011-2012 and includes a garden of tinctoriale plants for wool dyeing.

The museum highlights local know-how, linked to the work of wool, while questioning the links between tradition and innovation. Its technical collections (industrial machines), ethnological (Oriental felts) and artistic collections (works of 54 international artists in 2013) offer a plural vision of this millennial textile. The former abbey farm which houses it adds a heritage dimension to this exploration between crafts, industry and creation.

Collection

Le musée accueille également des artistes contemporains du feutre en utilisant ses collections permanentes et en procédant à des expositions temporaires.

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