Embroidery Design thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Not currently on display at the V&A
On short term loan out for exhibition

Embroidery Design

ca. 1885 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

May (Mary) Morris (1862-1938) was the daughter of the designer William Morris (1834-1896). When she was a child her mother, Jane Morris, and her aunt Bessie Burden taught her to make large scale embroideries in crewel work (wool). They were based on Morris’s medieval models. She was also encouraged to design for herself. In 1885 she took over the embroidery section of the firm. She took on Morris & Co. after her father’s death and continued to provide designs for them. These were for embroideries both large and small. Some were carried out by women at the Royal School of Needlework.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Pencil and watercolour
Brief description
May Morris. Design for patchwork embroidery. British, c.1885
Physical description
Design for a patchwork embroidery
Dimensions
  • Height: 50.2cm
  • Width: 21.6cm
Style
Credit line
Bequeathed by the artist
Subject depicted
Summary
May (Mary) Morris (1862-1938) was the daughter of the designer William Morris (1834-1896). When she was a child her mother, Jane Morris, and her aunt Bessie Burden taught her to make large scale embroideries in crewel work (wool). They were based on Morris’s medieval models. She was also encouraged to design for herself. In 1885 she took over the embroidery section of the firm. She took on Morris & Co. after her father’s death and continued to provide designs for them. These were for embroideries both large and small. Some were carried out by women at the Royal School of Needlework.
Bibliographic reference
John Murdoch and Susan Lambert, Summary Catalogue of Textile Designs 1840-1985 in the V. & A. Museum and colour microfiche, Surrey: Emmett Microform, 1986
Collection
Accession number
E.50-1940

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Record createdFebruary 18, 2003
Record URL
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