Granada thumbnail 1
Granada thumbnail 2
Not on display

Granada

Furnishing Fabric
1884 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This furnishing fabric was the most technically complicated textile William Morris designed. He based it on Italian and Spanish brocaded velvets of the 16th century. Morris constructed a special loom to make it, but the fabric took so long to weave that it was never put into commerical production. Only 20 yards (about 18 m) were produced in 1884 at a cost of £10 per yard.

Object details

Category
Object type
TitleGranada (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Woven silk velvet brocaded with gold thread
Brief description
'Granada' furnishing fabric, velvet brocade, London, 1884.
Physical description
Velvet brocade woven in white, pale blue and orange silks and gold thread. The pattern consists of two series of stems arranged so as to make overlapping ogee shaped compartments. At the points of intersection are expanding buds, pointed leaf shaped devices and pomegranates; the last two being filled with delicate sprigs of flowers (in blue and white on gold). The golden thread consists of strips of gilt paper wrapped round a silk core.
Dimensions
  • Length: 194.5cm
  • Width: 67.3cm
  • Length: 206.5cm (framed)
  • Width: 78.5cm (framed)
Credit line
Given by Morris & Co.
Historical context
Intended for use to make embellishments for textiles.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This furnishing fabric was the most technically complicated textile William Morris designed. He based it on Italian and Spanish brocaded velvets of the 16th century. Morris constructed a special loom to make it, but the fabric took so long to weave that it was never put into commerical production. Only 20 yards (about 18 m) were produced in 1884 at a cost of £10 per yard.
Bibliographic reference
Parry, Linda, ed. William Morris. London: Philip Wilson Publishers Limited, 1996. 384 p., ill. ISBN 0856674419
Collection
Accession number
T.4-1919

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Record createdJanuary 5, 2004
Record URL
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