Fruit
Wallpaper
1865-66 (designed), 1866 (produced)
1865-66 (designed), 1866 (produced)
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| Place of origin |
‘Fruit’ is one of the most enduringly popular of William Morris’s designs. It was used in many artistic homes of the period. It is still available from the Morris & Co. division of Sanderson, who own the original printing blocks. By the 1880s many writers of home decorating guides were recommending Morris papers, including the affordable ‘Art at Home’ series (1876-8). The frontispiece of Robert Edis’s influential book The Furniture and Decoration of Town Houses (1881) shows his own sitting room. You can see the Pomegranate wallpaper and other Aesthetic-style furnishings.
Object details
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| Object type | |
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| Materials and techniques | block-printed in distemper colours, on paper |
| Brief description | 'Fruit' (or 'Pomegranate') wallpaper pattern, branches of fruit trees bearing fruit, including limes and pomegranates, on a blue ground; Block-printed in distemper colours, on paper; Part of 'Volume 1', a pattern book containing 25 Morris & Co. patterns from 1862-81 (E.441-529-1919); England; First issued ca.1866. |
| Physical description | 'Fruit' (or 'Pomegranate') wallpaper pattern, branches of fruit trees bearing fruit, including limes and pomegranates, on a blue ground; Block-printed in distemper colours, on paper; Inscribed on the back in ink with title, number and price. Part of Volume 1, a pattern book containing 25 Morris & Co. patterns from 1862-81 (E.441-529-1919). |
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| Marks and inscriptions | (Inscribed on the back in ink with title, number and price.) |
| Credit line | Given by Morris & Co. |
| Object history | Possibly the second paper designed by Morris to be issued. The serial numbering in the printing log places it between Daisy and Trellis. However, Linda Parry (see references) cites Mackail's notes that suggest that the design was made 'no earlier than 1865'. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | ‘Fruit’ is one of the most enduringly popular of William Morris’s designs. It was used in many artistic homes of the period. It is still available from the Morris & Co. division of Sanderson, who own the original printing blocks. By the 1880s many writers of home decorating guides were recommending Morris papers, including the affordable ‘Art at Home’ series (1876-8). The frontispiece of Robert Edis’s influential book The Furniture and Decoration of Town Houses (1881) shows his own sitting room. You can see the Pomegranate wallpaper and other Aesthetic-style furnishings. |
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| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.447-1919 |
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| Record created | January 24, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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