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St James's Ceiling

Wallpaper
1881 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Morris & Co. (publisher)
Jeffrey & Co. (manufacturer)
Morris, William (designer)
Place of origin
England (made)

Specimen of 'St James's Ceiling' paper, a formalised foliate pattern, featuring a stylised sunflower; Block-printed in distemper colours, on paper; Inscribed on the back in ink with title, number and price.
Part of 'Volume 2', a pattern book containing 25 Morris & Co. patterns from 1882-96 (E.530-608-1919); England; 1875.

Object details

Categories
Images Online
Wall Coverings
Prints
Object type
Wallpaper
TitleSt James's Ceiling (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
block-printed in distemper colours, on paper
Paper
Distemper
Block Printing
Brief description
Specimen of 'St James's Ceiling' paper, a formalised foliate pattern, featuring a stylised sunflower; Block-printed in distemper colours, on paper; Designed by William Morris for the Banqueting Room at St James's Palace; Printed by Jeffrey & Co. for Morris & Co.; Part of 'Volume 2', a pattern book containing 27 Morris & Co. patterns from 1882-96 (E.530-608-1919); England; 1881.
Physical description
Specimen of 'St James's Ceiling' paper, a formalised foliate pattern, featuring a stylised sunflower; Block-printed in distemper colours, on paper; Inscribed on the back in ink with title, number and price.
Part of 'Volume 2', a pattern book containing 25 Morris & Co. patterns from 1882-96 (E.530-608-1919); England; 1875.
Dimensions
  • Size of volume height: 68.5cm
  • Size of volume width: 53.3cm
Dimensions from: Oman, Charles C., and Hamilton, Jean. Wallpapers: a history and illustrated catalogue of the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Sotheby Publications, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982.
Style
Arts and Crafts (Movement)
Marks and inscriptions
(Inscribed on the back in ink with title, number and price.)
Credit line
Given by Morris & Co.
Object history
This large ceiling paper, was designed by Morris to be hung with the red 'St. James's' paper in the Banqueting Room at St. James's Palace. The pattern is very similar to Philip Webb's design for the painted ceiling of the Green Dining Room at the South Kensington Museum 1866-8. Like the 'St James's' wallpaper, this design entered Morris & Co.'s standard range.
Production
Within pattern book Volume 2 (1882-96).
Subjects depicted
Leaves (Plant Materials)
Flowers (Plants)
Floral Pattern
Sunflower
Associated object
E.594-1919 (Colourway)
Bibliographic references
  • Oman, Charles C., and Hamilton, Jean. Wallpapers: a history and illustrated catalogue of the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Sotheby Publications, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982.
  • Parry, Linda, ed. William Morris London : Philip Wilson in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996. Published to coincide with an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, 9 May-1 Sept. 1996.
  • Oman, Charles C., and Hamilton, Jean. Wallpapers: a history and illustrated catalogue of the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Sotheby Publications, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982.
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings, Accessions 1919, London: Printed Under the Authority of His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1921
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.595-1919

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Record createdJune 12, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O248829/st-jamess-ceiling-wallpaper-morris-william/
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