'The Artichoke'
Embroidery Design
c.1877 (made)
c.1877 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This design was commissioned by Ada Phoebe Godman, who lived at Smeaton Manor in North Yorkshire. She asked William Morris in 1877 to produce a design for wall-hangings for the drawing room for her to embroider. The design was delivered on 31 August 1877, and an existing drawing of Mrs Godman shows that she was still completing the embroideries in 1900.
The V & A owns one of the completed hangings, which has been displayed in the British Galleries (T.166-1978). Other hangings are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, and the William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow, London. Morris's fascination with Middle Eastern patterns and the designs of early Italian brocaded silks and velvets are illustrated here in the design, which shows repeating artichokes in a traditional pattern structure. Another pair of hangings following the same design was embroidered by Mrs. Margaret Beale and her daughters for their home, Standen, in East Sussex.
The V & A owns one of the completed hangings, which has been displayed in the British Galleries (T.166-1978). Other hangings are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, and the William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow, London. Morris's fascination with Middle Eastern patterns and the designs of early Italian brocaded silks and velvets are illustrated here in the design, which shows repeating artichokes in a traditional pattern structure. Another pair of hangings following the same design was embroidered by Mrs. Margaret Beale and her daughters for their home, Standen, in East Sussex.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | 'The Artichoke' (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | watercolour drawing |
| Brief description | William Morris. Design for an embroidered wall-hanging for Smeaton Manor, manufactured by Morris & Co., British, 1877 |
| Physical description | Watercolour drawing for an embroidered hanging |
| Dimensions |
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| Summary | This design was commissioned by Ada Phoebe Godman, who lived at Smeaton Manor in North Yorkshire. She asked William Morris in 1877 to produce a design for wall-hangings for the drawing room for her to embroider. The design was delivered on 31 August 1877, and an existing drawing of Mrs Godman shows that she was still completing the embroideries in 1900. The V & A owns one of the completed hangings, which has been displayed in the British Galleries (T.166-1978). Other hangings are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, and the William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow, London. Morris's fascination with Middle Eastern patterns and the designs of early Italian brocaded silks and velvets are illustrated here in the design, which shows repeating artichokes in a traditional pattern structure. Another pair of hangings following the same design was embroidered by Mrs. Margaret Beale and her daughters for their home, Standen, in East Sussex. |
| Associated object | T.166-1978 (Design) |
| 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 | 65-1898 |
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| Record created | March 13, 2013 |
| Record URL |
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