The Textile Museum's collection of non-Western textiles and carpets was established in 1925 to expand awareness of the artistic merits and cultural importance of the world's textiles.
The collection includes more than 20,000 textiles and related objects dating from 3,000 BCE to the present, representing five continents, including cultures from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Also includes the 20,000-volume Arthur D. Jenkins Library of Textile Arts.
As of 2014, the Textile Museum is affiliated with and located on the Foggy Bottom campus of George Washington University. Exhibitions and programs are presented in a 35,000 square foot purpose-built museum bearing the names of both The Textile Museum and the George Washington University Museum.