Sunflower

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Prints & Drawings Study Room, level E

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Artist/Maker	Morris & Co. (publisher) Jeffrey & Co. (printer) Morris, William (designer)
Place of origin	England (printed)

Specimen of 'Sunflower' wallpaper, a symmetrical, formalised pattern of sunflowers and grape vines with fruit; Block-printed in distemper colour, on paper.
Part of a wallpaper pattern book containing 132 specimens (E.2734-2866-1980), mounted on a display stand, with a cloth cover.

Object details

Categories	Wall Coverings Prints
Object type	Wallpaper
Title	Sunflower (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques	block-printed in distemper colour, on paper Paper Distemper Block Printing
Brief description	Specimen of 'Sunflower' wallpaper, a symmetrical, formalised pattern of sunflowers and grape vines with fruit; Block-printed in distemper colour, on paper; Designed by William Morris; Printed by Jeffery & Co. for Morris & Co.; Part of a wallpaper pattern book containing 132 specimens (E.2734-2866-1980), mounted on a display stand, with a cloth cover; England; 1879.
Physical description	Specimen of 'Sunflower' wallpaper, a symmetrical, formalised pattern of sunflowers and grape vines with fruit; Block-printed in distemper colour, on paper. Part of a wallpaper pattern book containing 132 specimens (E.2734-2866-1980), mounted on a display stand, with a cloth cover.
Style	Arts and Crafts (Movement)
Marks and inscriptions	'THESE PAPERS ARE PRINTED BY HAND / Hand or Block-printed Papers and Machine-printed Papers. / MORRIS AND COMPANY are often asked "What is the advantage of hand-printed papers over those printed by machine?" / HAND-PRINTED PAPERS are produced very slowly, each block used being dipped into pigment and then firmly pressed on to the paper, giving a great body of colour. This process takes place with each separate colour, which is slowly dried before another is applied. The consequence is that in the finished paper there is a considerable mass of solid colour. / MACHINE-PRINTED PAPERS are produced at a great speed, all the colours being printed at one time and rapidly dried in a heated gallery. In consequence of the speed at which they are printed, there is merely a film of colour deposited on the surface of the paper. / FOR PERMANENT USE we strongly recommend the hand-printed paper. / The machine-printed papers are placed at the end of one of the books or in a msall book by themselves. / Show Rooms: / 449, Oxford Street, London, W.' (Printed on cover sheet of stand-book.)
Credit line	Given by Shand Kydd Ltd
Object history	Produced by Morris & Co., 449, Oxford Street, London. Given by Shand Kydd Ltd.
Production	Part of a pattern book of wallpapers containing 132 specimens (E.2734-2866-1980) from 1880-1917.
Subjects depicted	Leaves (Plant Materials) Flowers Grape Vines Sunflowers Grapes
Associated objects	E.2863-1980 (Colourway) E.817-1915 (Colourway) E.512-1919 (Colourway) E.513-1919 (Colourway) E.514-1919 (Colourway) E.515-1919 (Colourway) E.516-1919 (Colourway) E.517-1919 (Colourway)
Bibliographic references	Oman, Charles C., and Hamilton, Jean. Wallpapers: a history and illustrated catalogue of the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Sotheby Publications, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982. Saunders, Gill. Wallpaper in Interior Decoration. V&A Publications. London. 2002. pp. 118. pl 103. Parry, Linda, ed. William Morris London : Philip Wilson in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996. Published to coincide with an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, 9 May-1 Sept. 1996. Parry, Linda, ed. William Morris London : Philip Wilson in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996. Published to coincide with an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, 9 May-1 Sept. 1996.
Collection	Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number	E.2864-1980

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Record created	June 23, 2009
Record URL	https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O251278/sunflower-wallpaper-morris-william/

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