This is a commercially produced furnishing cotton, roller-printed by the firm of Steiner & Co. of Church in Lancashire. The design was registered by the firm on 26 July 1899. The pattern has been attributed to Christopher Dresser.

It is known that Dresser sold designs to Steiner & Co., although the late date of registration suggests that the cotton was designed not by Dresser but, under his influence, in the Dresser studio. According to C.F.Tattersall, a pupil from 1894 until 1904, Dresser was then concerned with marketing and supervising, rather than design (see Widar Halen, 'Christopher Dresser', Oxford, 1890 p.114) . The attribution is based on its similarity to Dresser/Steiner cottons illustrated in 'Studio' magazine for 1899 ( Vol. XV, p.109). Nikolaus Pevsner's article, 'Christopher Dresser, Industrial Designer' in 'Architectural Review', vol. LXXXI, 1937 pp 183-6) also illustrates similar patterns.

This is one of a group of Steiner cottons, dating from 1899 to 1906, which were acquired by the V&A in 1957. They are all likely to have been manufactured for the continental market. Many show highly original art nouveau patterns in unusual colourings, neither of which would have appealed to the home market.