The mystery buyer of rare silk hangings depicting scenes of Jerusalem has been revealed as the Rothschild Foundation.

The seven embroidered 18th-century tapestries were bought from a private owner for £120,000 in August, but the identity of the buyer was not disclosed at the time.

Two of the smaller hangings will be displayed at Waddesdon Manor, the Rothschild house in Buckinghamshire, from this month. The whole collection will go on display in March.

Culture Minister Ed Vaizey described the news that the tapestries would have a permanent home in the UK as “fantastic”.

“They are some of the finest examples left in existence and this acquisition now means they can be appreciated by generations for years to come.”

Mr Vaizey had put an export ban on the hangings earlier this year to prevent them being sold abroad.