Tapestries are valuable works of art. Because of their size they fit only in castles and because of the time-consuming technique they are only affordable to the very richest. Now these tapestries are much sought after by museums, however, not easy to purchase, as Friso Lammertse, curator old master paintings, explains. Lammertse describes here the acquisition of a tapestry that Rubens designed for a series on the life of Achilles. With the help of tapestry expert Guy Delmarcel, he was able to show this rare item in 2003 in an exhibition on the Achilles series. This is now a showpiece in the permanent collection.