Sample Book of Morris & Co Shot Silks (#1 Gold Warp)

Details

Date: designed 1878
Dimensions: 87 x137.2
Object Type: textile
Material: woven wool
Technique: hand-loom jacquard woven
Catalogue number: F26ciii
Designer: Morris, William, 1834, 1896
Credit notes: WMG purchase, 1940

‘Peacock and Dragon’ was designed by William Morris in 1878. It was first hand-woven on jacquard looms at Morris & Co’s premises in Queen Square, London and later at the firm’s factory Merton Abbey, Surrey. It was available in two widths: 183 cm (72 in.) and also in 137 cm (54 in). It was available in two colourways, Morris & Co. pattern no: 200 (5 colourways) and 5623 (2 colourways). The size of pattern repeat: 109 x 90 cm. (43 x 35.5 in.).

This example is one width of a double width pair of curtains made by the Gallery for display in the 1960s, the four widths were separated around 1988 to form four lengths (see F26). The curtains were made from an original 30 yard length of 54 inch width five colourway fabric, acquired from Morris & Co. when it closed in 1940.

Details

Date: late nineteenth century
Object Type: textile
Catalogue number: H25a
Owner: Mackmurdo | Arthur Heygate | 1851 | 1942
Credit notes: Miss E. Pugh bequest, 1963

This indigo blue smock was owned and worn by the artist Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo. The smock is worn with use and patched in places. In his 1968 work, Studies in art, architecture, and design, the architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner recalls a past meeting with A.H. Mackmurdo (1851-1942) age 86: ‘He walked with me and talked of his economic conceits, his light blue eyes glittering, his wavy white hair blown by a breeze, a black coat slipped on over his butcher-blue blouse or blue shirt – the kind of blue blouse that William Morris wore, and which Voysey wore. The shirt being in this case- as in other cases- a profession of faith.’

Details

Dimensions: 21 x 19
Object Type: textile
Material: wool on canvas
Technique: hand-embroidered
Catalogue number: F229
Designer and maker: Pugh, Elinor M., Miss, 1962
Credit notes: Miss Elinor Pugh Bequest, 1963

“The juxtaposition of the inner bands of vivid colours, and the outer bands of dull tones creates an immersive pattern that draws the viewer in to the centre of the object. The inner section appears illuminated and the central motif resembles both a window and a candle. The gaudy colours make it difficult to place this object within an established art historical framework. It is outside the canon.”
Lucinda Purkis and Raizel Frankl-Slater, WMG Young Producers

Details

Date: Design registered 1876
Dimensions: 85.1 x 95.5
Object Type: textile
Material: cotton
Technique: block-printed
Catalogue number: F223
Designer: Morris, William, 1834, 1896
Manufacturer: Morris & Co.
Credit notes: Presented by Mrs Charles Bramley, 1962

Designed by William Morris in 1876, his daughter May Morris described Honeysuckle as ‘the most truely “Morrisian” in character of all his-pattern making in later life”. The pattern combines four of his favourite flowers for pattern making- crown imperial, tulip, honeysuckle and fritillary, which overlay a dense background of yew.

Details

Dimensions: 1253.5 x 94.6
Object Type: textile
Material: cotton
Technique: indigo discharge
Catalogue number: F220
Designer: Morris, William, 1834, 1896
Manufacturer: Morris & Co.
Credit notes: Mary Annie Sloane bequest, 1962

Bird and Anemone was designed by William Morris in 1881 and the design registered on 17th June 1882. The monochrome pattern is one of only three designs issued by Morris as both a wallpaper and a printed cotton. Although they were produced at approximately the same time, the narrow upright rectangular repeat suggests it was however probably first intended as a textile design. The pattern was one of the first textiles to be printed at Morris’s factory Merton Abbey, and he produced it in this colourway using the indigo-discharge method and a red colourway.

Details

Date: designed 1878
Object Type: textile
Material: woven wool
Technique: hand-loom jacquard woven
Catalogue number: F26civ
Designer: Morris, William, 1834, 1896
Credit notes: WMG purchase, 1940

Details

Dimensions: 88.9 x 81.3
Object Type: textile
Material: velveteen
Technique: woven and block-printed
Catalogue number: F200a
Designer: Mackmurdo | Arthur Heygate | 1851 | 1942
Manufacturer: Century Guild

This is one of the Century Guild’s most successful designs, it features scrolling and interwoven brambles with clusters of blackberries, enclosing pairs of squirrels holding nuts. The Century Guild monogram is incorporated in the design. Whilst some of AH Mackmurdo’s designs for textiles were too large and busy, this design features clear outlines, a harmonious repeat and is an approriate scale for a furnishing fabric. The design was also produced in as a cotton in red and yellow colourways.

Details

Date: c. 1882
Dimensions: 189.9 x 78.7
Object Type: textile
Material: cotton velvet
Technique: woven and block-printed
Catalogue number: F200
Designer: Mackmurdo | Arthur Heygate | 1851 | 1942
Manufacturer: Century Guild
Manufacturer: Simpson & Godlee
Credit notes: Presented by Miss E.Pugh, 1961

Details

Date: c.1857
Dimensions: 139.7
Object Type: textile
Catalogue number: H13
Attributed designer: Morris, William, 1834, 1896
Owner: Morris (née Burden) | Jane | 1839 | 1914
Credit notes: Presented by the Central School of Arts & Crafts (London County Council), 1954

This woolen dress is part of a group of costume items that also includes a sideless gown and cloak, also in the collection (see H11 and H12). They were all reputed to have been designed by William Morris for use as costume props to be worn by models, notably his wife Jane, at the time of the decoration of the Oxford Union murals in 1857. The gown has been linked to a 1858 study by Morris for ‘La Belle Iseult’, his only easel painting which is now in the Tate collection.

Details

Date: c.1857
Dimensions: 132.08
Object Type: textile
Technique: woven
Catalogue number: H11
Designer: Morris, William, 1834, 1896
Owner: Morris, William, 1834, 1896
Credit notes: Presented by Central School of Arts and Crafts (London County Council), 1954.

This woven cloak white is part of a group of costume items that also includes a dress and sideless gown, also in the collection (H12 and H13). They were all reputed to have been designed by William Morris for use as costume props to be worn by models, notably his wife Jane, at the time of the decoration of the Oxford Union murals in 1857. The gown has been linked to a 1858 study by Morris for ‘La Belle Iseult’, his only easel painting which is now in the Tate collection.

Details

Date: c.1907
Dimensions: 2.32 x 1.70
Object Type: textile
Material: printed cotton
Technique: block-printed
Catalogue number: F438
Designer: Wardle, Thomas, Sir (1831 - 1909)
Manufacturer: Wardle and Co. (1872 - 1908)
Credit notes: Purchased by the Friends of the William Morris Gallery, March 2015

This Renaissance design is one of six featured in the Studio Yearbook of 1907 and called Dusseldorf. The article mentioned that: ‘Dusseldorf is an elaborate design of early 16th century, constructed in pale wavy bands, broken by prominent rosettes’. Thomas Wardle had links with the museum and art school in Krefeld or Crefeld, north-west of Dusseldorf and centre of the silk weaving industry in Germany. He knew the Museum Director, Herr Schultz who was attached to the Royal Weaving School at Crefeld. The museum had a magnificent Royal Textile Collection. In 1893 Wardle invited Schultz to talk at the Royal Society, London on historic textile designs. Wardle was influenced by descriptions of historic trextiles which were shown in the talk but had probably seen this design in the museum. By the time this fabric was printed in around 1907, Thomas Wardle had died and his son was running the business. He clearly thought the design was commercial.
“The most striking element of this piece is its sense of movement and vibration. The colours wrapping around the vines and the wave shapes of the three vertical channels bring to mind water and an ongoing fluidity. The central lilypad shapes create a focus as well as a sense of organic life. The lack of empty space in this very detailed design gives the impression that the pattern is teaming with living organisms.” Raizel Frankl-Slater, WMG Young Producer

Details

Date: reg 17 June 1882, printed before 1910
Dimensions: 106.7 x 53.4
Object Type: textile
Material: cotton
Technique: block-printed
Catalogue number: F152b
Designer: Morris, William, 1834, 1896
Manufacturer: Morris & Co.
Retailer: Morris & Co.
Credit notes: Presented by Mrs Hitch, 1954

William Morris issued this design as a wallpaper and printed cotton at approximately at the same time, but the narrow upright rectangular repeat suggests it was first intended as a textile design. This example was made into a cusion cover and formerly in the collection of Lucy Faulkner Orrinsmith (1839-1910), an artist friend of William Morris and who also worked for his firm.

Details

Date: design registered 17 June 1882
Dimensions: 208.2 x 91.4
Object Type: textile
Material: cotton
Technique: indigo discharge and block-printed
Catalogue number: F151c
Designer: Morris, William, 1834, 1896
Manufacturer: Morris & Co.
Retailer: Morris & Co.
Credit notes: Presented by Mrs Hitch, 1954

Details

Dimensions: 217.8 x 83.8
Object Type: textile
Material: cotton
Technique: indigo discharge and block-printed
Catalogue number: F151b
Designer: Morris, William, 1834, 1896
Manufacturer: Morris & Co.
Retailer: Morris & Co.
Credit notes: Presented by Mrs Hitch, 1954

Details

Date: design registered 17 June 1882
Dimensions: 101.6 x 91.4
Object Type: textile
Material: cotton
Technique: indigo discharge and block-printed
Catalogue number: F151a
Designer: Morris, William, 1834, 1896
Manufacturer: Morris & Co.
Retailer: Morris & Co.
Credit notes: Presented by Mrs Hitch, 1954

Details

Date: designed before June 1881, printed before 1910
Dimensions: 52 x 95.2
Object Type: textile
Material: cotton
Technique: indigo discharge and block-printed
Catalogue number: F150
Designer: Morris, William, 1834, 1896
Manufacturer: Morris & Co.
Retailer: Morris & Co.
Credit notes: Presented by Mrs Hitch, 1954

It is not known precisely when William Morris designed Rose and Thistle, however the original design in the Victoria and Albert Museum is marked ’26 Queens Square’, so it must have been designed before Morris & Co. moved to Merton Abbey in June 1881. This example was formerly in the collection of Lucy Faulkner Orrinsmith (1839-1910), an artist friend of William Morris and who also worked for his firm.

Details

Date: 1893
Dimensions: 17.8 x 17.8 (with fringe)
Object Type: textile
Material: silk and linen
Technique: machine-woven
Catalogue number: F141l
Designer: Crane, Walter, 1845, 1915
Manufacturer: John Wilson and Sons
Credit notes: WMG purchase, 1954

This is one of a set of silk ‘Desert Doilies’ called ‘Flora’s Retinue’, designed by Walter Crane for the firm John Wilson and Sons, Bond street, London in 1894. Four of the designs (daisy, pink, lily and rose) were illustrated in the Arts and Crafts periodical The Studio: An Illustrated Magazine of Fine and Applied Art 1894: Vol 2, p.28

Details

Date: 1893
Dimensions: 17.8 x 17.8 (with fringe)
Object Type: textile
Material: silk and linen
Technique: machine-woven
Catalogue number: F141k
Designer: Crane, Walter, 1845, 1915
Manufacturer: John Wilson and Sons
Credit notes: WMG purchase, 1954

Details

Date: 1893
Dimensions: 17.8 x 17.8 (with fringe)
Object Type: textile
Material: silk and linen
Technique: machine-woven
Catalogue number: F141j
Designer: Crane, Walter, 1845, 1915
Manufacturer: John Wilson and Sons
Credit notes: WMG purchase, 1954

Details

Date: 1893
Dimensions: 17.8 x 17.8 (with fringe)
Object Type: textile
Material: silk and linen
Technique: machine-woven
Catalogue number: F141i
Designer: Crane, Walter, 1845, 1915
Manufacturer: John Wilson and Sons
Credit notes: WMG purchase, 1954

Details

Date: 1893
Dimensions: 17.8 x 17.8 (with fringe)
Object Type: textile
Material: silk and linen
Technique: machine-woven
Catalogue number: F141h 'Poppy'
Designer: Crane, Walter, 1845, 1915
Manufacturer: John Wilson and Sons
Credit notes: WMG purchase, 1954

Details

Date: 1893
Dimensions: 17.8 x 17.8 (with fringe)
Object Type: textile
Material: silk and linen
Technique: machine-woven
Catalogue number: F141g
Designer: Crane, Walter, 1845, 1915
Manufacturer: John Wilson and Sons
Credit notes: WMG purchase, 1954

Details

Date: 1893
Dimensions: 17.8 x 17.8 (with fringe)
Object Type: textile
Material: silk and linen
Technique: machine-woven
Catalogue number: F141f
Designer: Crane, Walter, 1845, 1915
Manufacturer: John Wilson and Sons
Credit notes: WMG purchase, 1954

Details

Date: 1893
Dimensions: 17.8 x 17.8 (with fringe)
Object Type: textile
Material: silk and linen
Technique: machine-woven
Catalogue number: F141e
Designer: Crane, Walter, 1845, 1915
Manufacturer: John Wilson and Sons
Credit notes: WMG purchase, 1954

Details

Date: 1893
Dimensions: 17.8 x 17.8 (with fringe)
Object Type: textile
Material: silk and linen
Technique: machine-woven
Catalogue number: F141d
Designer: Crane, Walter, 1845, 1915
Manufacturer: John Wilson and Sons
Credit notes: WMG purchase, 1954

Details

Date: 1893
Dimensions: 17.8 x 17.8 (with fringe)
Object Type: textile
Material: silk and linen
Technique: machine-woven
Catalogue number: F141a
Designer: Crane, Walter, 1845, 1915
Manufacturer: John Wilson and Sons
Credit notes: WMG purchase, 1954

This is one of a set of silk ‘Desert Doilies’ called ‘Flora’s Retinue’, designed by Walter Crane for the firm John Wilson and Sons, Bond street, London in 1894. Four of the designs (daisy, pink, lily and rose) were illustated in the Arts and Crafts periodical The Studio: An Illustrated Magazine of Fine and Applied Art 1894: Vol 2, p.28

Details

Date: 1874-1876
Dimensions: 86.3 x 628.7
Object Type: textile
Material: silks and gold thread on linen
Technique: hand-embroidered
Catalogue number: F140a
Designer: Morris, William, 1834, 1896
Designer: Burne-Jones | Edward Coley | Sir | 1833 | 1898
Maker: Bell, Margaret (1820 - 1886)
Credit notes: Presented by Sir Hugh Bell, Bart., 1953

This embroidery was part of a frieze of five parts commissioned by Sir Isaac Lowthian Bell and his wife Margaret for the dining room of Rounton Grange, Northallerton, Yorkshire. The panels depict the story of The Romaunt of the Rose by Geoffrey Chaucer and were based on original pictures drawn by Edward Burne-Jones c.1874-76. The exquisite embroidery was executed by the wife and daughter of Sir Isaac Lowthian Bell, Margaret Bell and Florence Johnson, respectively.

Details

Date: c.1919-1923
Dimensions: 186.7 x 66
Object Type: textile
Technique: hand-embroidered
Catalogue number: F122
Designer: Dearle, John Henry (1859 - 1932)
Maker: Tooth , Helen Lucas, Lady (4.6.1853 - 17.08.1942)
Credit notes: Presented by Lady Durand, daughter of Lady Lucas-Tooth, 1952

Embroidered panel showing an apple tree with red apples, nasturtiums growing round trunk, with clumps of violets and chrysanthemums at foot. Coloured silks on cream silk, worked in long and short stitch, stem stitch, French knots and satin stitch.. Designed by John Henry Dearle for Morris & Co. who provided the silks; one of six panels worked by Lady Helen Lucas Tooth for the drawing room of her daughter’s house at Somerfield Keynes near Cirencester. The other panels are also in the Gallery’s collection.

Details

Date: c.1919-1923
Dimensions: 185.4 x 94
Object Type: textile
Material: silk
Technique: hand-embroidered
Catalogue number: F121
Designer: Dearle, John Henry (1859 - 1932)
Retailer: Morris & Co.
Maker: Tooth , Helen Lucas, Lady (4.6.1853 - 17.08.1942)
Credit notes: Presented by Lady Durand, daughter of Lady Lucas-Tooth, 1952

Embroidered panel showing a plum tree, with birds, convolvulus growing round the trunk; primroses, crocuses and sunflowers growing in clumps at foot. Coloured silks on cream silk, worked in long and short stitch, stem stitch and blanket stitch. Designed by John Henry Dearle for Morris & Co. who provided the silks; one of six panels worked by Lady Helen Lucas Tooth for the drawing room of her daughter’s house at Somerfield Keynes near Cirencester. The other panels are also in the Gallery’s collection.

Details

Date: c.1919-1923
Dimensions: 185.4 x 94
Object Type: textile
Material: silk
Technique: hand-embroidered
Catalogue number: F120
Maker: Tooth , Helen Lucas, Lady (4.6.1853 - 17.08.1942)
Designer: Dearle, John Henry (1859 - 1932)
Credit notes: Presented by Lady Durand, 1952

Embroidered panel showing a lemon tree with two birds; honeysuckle growing around the trunk; primroses and poppies growing at the foot of the tree. Coloured silks on cream silk, worked in long and short stitch, stem stitch, French knots and satin stitch.. Designed by John Henry Dearle for Morris & Co. who provided the silks; one of six panels worked by Lady Helen Lucas Tooth for the drawing room of her daughter’s house at Somerfield Keynes near Cirencester. The other panels are also in the Gallery’s collection.

Details

Date: c.1919-1923
Dimensions: 185.5 x 94
Object Type: textile
Material: silk
Technique: hand-embroidered
Catalogue number: F119
Designer: Dearle, John Henry (1859 - 1932)
Maker: Tooth , Helen Lucas, Lady (4.6.1853 - 17.08.1942)
Retailer: Morris & Co.
Credit notes: Presented by Lady Durand, daughter of Lady Lucas-Tooth, 1952

Embroidered panel showing a cherry tree and two birds, clematis growing around tree trunk with foxgloves, lilies and anemones growing in clumps at its foot. Coloured silks on cream silk, worked in long and short stitch, stem stitch, French knots, satin stitch and laid work. Designed by John Henry Dearle for Morris & Co. who provided the silks; one of six panels worked by Lady Helen Lucas Tooth for the drawing room of her daughter’s house at Somerford Keynes near Cirencester. The other panels are also in the Gallery’s collection.

Details

Date: c.1919-1923
Dimensions: 185.4 x 94
Object Type: textile
Material: silk
Technique: embroidery
Catalogue number: F118
Designer: Dearle, John Henry (1859 - 1932)
Maker: Tooth , Helen Lucas, Lady (4.6.1853 - 17.08.1942)
Retailer: Morris & Co.
Credit notes: Presented by Lady Durand, daughter of Lady Lucas Tooth, 1952

Embroidered panel showing an orange tree with roses growing round trunk, clumps of tulips, primroses, irises and peonies at foot with two birds. Coloured silks on cream silk worked in long and short stitch, stem stitch, satin stitch blanket stitch and laid work. Designed by John Henry Dearle for Morris & Co. who provided the silks; one of six panels worked by Lady Helen Lucas Tooth for the drawing room of her daughter’s house at Somerfield Keynes near Cirencester. The other panels are also in the Gallery’s collection.

Object Type: textile

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