Musician angel

Angel designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones

Mille-fleur background designed by J. H. Dearle

Manufactured by Morris & Co.

1902

All Saints' Church, Brockhampton, Herefordshire

The right-hand panel of a pair either side of the altar, woven for Ebenezer Jordan in memory of his parents. Each comes from a stained glass design of 1878 entitled Angeli Laudantes, originally used for two lancets at Salisbury Cathedral. Morris, long committed to weaving, especially after moving to Merton Abbey in 1881, successfully used the design in this medium too, with Dearle adding the enchanting background (see Cooper 200). This is perfect for All Saints', a country church where (for example) wild flowers are carved on the choir stalls. Subtle differences between the two panels include the forms of the instruments, and the varieties of flowers shown.

Photograph © Philip Pankhurst, modified for perspective; it may be reproduced with attribution on this Creative Commons Licence.

Text by Jacqueline Banerjee. [Click on the image to enlarge it; mouse over the text for links.]