The Khayamiya: Khedival to Contemporary exhibition features textiles known as khayamiya.

Khayamiya are used as walls on tents, with the colourful designs now replaced by cheaper varieties.

Art historian Sam Bowker said the oldest of the 15 items on display dated back to the late 19th century.

“This is an art form which is driven by a need to change to survive,” he said.

“It is an endangered art form because the old way of creating them has been replaced by printed fabric which is bright, but also flimsy and cheap.

“It makes it more accessible.

“The future of this art work really relies on finding international audiences for it and being appreciated by a younger generation of Egyptians.”

Mr Bowker’s family has an extensive collection of khayamiya.

“These are things you would never normally see here,” he said.

The exhibition opens at the Albury Library Museum at 2pm today and runs until April 12.