Snakeshead by William Morris

Snakeshead

Designer: William Morris, 1834-1896

Printer for Morris & Co. Thomas Wardle

1876

Printed cotton

56 x 98 cm (22 x 38 1/2 inches)

Parry suggests the dark over-printed background and madder red used in Snakeshead are clear evidence of Morris' brief fascination with Indian textiles. Indian printed cottons and silks were extremely popular during the 1870s and available in most of the fashionable stores.

References

Arts & Crafts Textiles in Britain. Exhibition Catalogue. The Fine Art Society in Association with Francesca Galloway, nd. No. 19.

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Parry, Linda. The Victoria & Albert Museum's Textile Collection. British Textiles from 1850 to 1900. London 1993. Catalogue 18, plate 50, pages 43, 46-47.

Last modified 30 October 2007