The Bayeux Tapestry

At no.10 on our "the most expensive carpets" list is The Bayeux Tapestry. The Bayeux Tapestry, produced in Normandy in 1070 and measuring roughly 70 meters by 50 cm, has no price because of its completely incalculable worth.

This tapestry depicts the events that led to William, Duke of Normandy, becoming King of England over the course of a year. A small explanatory text "translates" the episodic pictures of battles and incidents, but a few people in the Middle Ages could read, the drawings speak for themselves. The designs, which were embroidered by nuns in the colorful thread, distinguish this tapestry from a carpet since it is woven on linen rather than knotted. It is believed that it took around ten years to finish.

This tapestry has been woven for over 1,000 years. Because the concluding images of the coronation are missing, the present 69 meters of unbroken linen would have been over 70 meters. It's unknown who commissioned it, although it's thought Duke William's half-brother, who appears multiple times on the rug, did it himself

Cost: haven't valued