Wandle thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Wandle

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

William Morris called this pattern 'Wandle'. He named it after the river that ran through his Merton Abbey Works 'to honour our helpful stream'. It contained the soft water that plays an important part in dyeing textiles.

Morris spent many years trying to perfect the ancient art of indigo discharge printing. The technique involves dyeing the whole length of fabric in the indigo blue vat. The design is then printed onto it using bleaching agents of various strengths. The dye in the bleached areas is then washed away and the pattern emerges. This example shows the 'Wandle' pattern after its first application before other colours are added. The white areas are fully discharged. The pale blue shows the areas where a weaker form of discharging agent has been used.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleWandle
Materials and techniques
Indigo-discharged and block-printed cotton
Brief description
printed, 1884, British; Morris, W., for Morris & Co. "Wandle"
Physical description
Furnishing fabric
Dimensions
  • Length: 68cm
  • Width: 96.5cm
Credit line
Given by Mrs Lucius Grubbins
Summary
William Morris called this pattern 'Wandle'. He named it after the river that ran through his Merton Abbey Works 'to honour our helpful stream'. It contained the soft water that plays an important part in dyeing textiles.

Morris spent many years trying to perfect the ancient art of indigo discharge printing. The technique involves dyeing the whole length of fabric in the indigo blue vat. The design is then printed onto it using bleaching agents of various strengths. The dye in the bleached areas is then washed away and the pattern emerges. This example shows the 'Wandle' pattern after its first application before other colours are added. The white areas are fully discharged. The pale blue shows the areas where a weaker form of discharging agent has been used.
Bibliographic reference
Parry, Linda, ed. William Morris. London: Philip Wilson Publishers Limited, 1996. 384 p., ill. ISBN 0856674419
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.427-1953

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
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