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Screen

1885-1910 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

A three-panelled furnishing screen made by Morris & Co. inset with embroidered panels showing 'Parrot Tulip', 'Large Horned Poppy' and 'Anemone' designs. Screens were available from Morris & Co. either as kits, sold with a marked ground and silk threads, to be worked at home, or as completed wall hangings or screens. Although the panels were designed in the mid-1880s, this screen was made at a later date. The donor has suggested '... the screen was worked and made up in the William Morris shop prior to 1914'.

This screen was purchased from Morris & Co.'s shop at 449 Oxford Street, London. An identical screen showing two of these panels was illustrated in Morris & Co.'s 'Embroidery Work' catalogue published about 1910, priced at £17 10s. J.H. Dearle (1860-1932), who designed the screen panels, was William Morris's assistant. He eventually became Artistic Director of the Morris firm. May Morris, the younger daughter of William Morris, directed the embroidery section of Morris & Co. from 1885 until 1896.

Morris screens of this type can be seen in contemporary photographs of a number of large houses including Bullerswood in Kent, Stanmore Hall in Middlesex and in the homes of the Barr Smith family in Adelaide, Australia.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Embroidered canvas with darning, stem and satin stitch
Brief description
Embroidered screen with three fold panels, designed by John Henry Dearle, manufactured by Morris & Co, London, 1885-1910
Physical description
Three-fold screen with a glazed mahogany frame, and panels of canvas embroidered with silks in darning, stem and satin stitch.
Dimensions
  • Height: 162.9cm
  • Maximum width: 166.2cm
  • Depth: 2.8cm
  • Weight: 32.5kg
Dimensions checked: measured; 23/12/1998 by sf
Gallery label
  • British Galleries: Embroidered screens were popular Arts and Crafts furnishings. This example by Morris & Company was designed by John Henry Dearle, William Morris's assistant, and embroidered under the supervision of William's daughter May Morris, who ran the Embroidery Section of the firm. These panels were also available for sale in kit form to embroider at home.(27/03/2003)
  • International Arts & Crafts This screen was illustrated in Morris & Co.'s catalogue of 'Embroidery Work' in 1910 and priced at £17 10s. It could be purchased from the Morris shop at 449 Oxford Street, London, and was also available as a kit to embroider at home.(17/03/2005)
Credit line
Given by Miss J. Constant
Object history
Designed by John Henry Dearle (born in 1860, died in 1932); made by Morris & Co., London
Summary
A three-panelled furnishing screen made by Morris & Co. inset with embroidered panels showing 'Parrot Tulip', 'Large Horned Poppy' and 'Anemone' designs. Screens were available from Morris & Co. either as kits, sold with a marked ground and silk threads, to be worked at home, or as completed wall hangings or screens. Although the panels were designed in the mid-1880s, this screen was made at a later date. The donor has suggested '... the screen was worked and made up in the William Morris shop prior to 1914'.

This screen was purchased from Morris & Co.'s shop at 449 Oxford Street, London. An identical screen showing two of these panels was illustrated in Morris & Co.'s 'Embroidery Work' catalogue published about 1910, priced at £17 10s. J.H. Dearle (1860-1932), who designed the screen panels, was William Morris's assistant. He eventually became Artistic Director of the Morris firm. May Morris, the younger daughter of William Morris, directed the embroidery section of Morris & Co. from 1885 until 1896.

Morris screens of this type can be seen in contemporary photographs of a number of large houses including Bullerswood in Kent, Stanmore Hall in Middlesex and in the homes of the Barr Smith family in Adelaide, Australia.
Bibliographic references
  • Parry, Linda, ed. William Morris. London: Philip Wilson Publishers Limited, 1996. 384 p., ill. ISBN 0856674419
  • Livingstone, Karen & Parry, Linda (eds.), International Arts and Crafts, London : V&A Publications, 2005
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.848-1956

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Record createdMarch 27, 2003
Record URL
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