Water Lily thumbnail 1
Not on display

Water Lily

Table
ca. 1913 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This small occasional table was decorated by the painter Duncan Grant for the Omega Workshops. Roger Fry founded the workshops in 1913, both to provide work for artists and to try to remove the perceived division between the fine and decorative arts. In the workshop artists produced pieces that were generally anonymous, signed only by the Greek letter Omega. However, when this table came into the Museum, it was recorded as being the work of Duncan Grant.

Omega furniture was either designed by members of the workshops to be made by professional furniture makers, or bought second-hand to paint and resell. This plain table is likely to have been bought second-hand. Roger Fry gave it to Margaret Bulley, who donated it to the Museum in 1934, as part of her collection of early 20th-century decorative art, which was originally displayed at the Bethnal Green Museum. Her collection included many pieces from the Omega Workshops as well as work by other designers.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleWater Lily (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Wood gessoed and handpainted with oils
Brief description
Table, 'Water Lily', painting attributed to Duncan Grant for the Omega Workshops, ca. 1913
Physical description
A small circular wooden table, its top painted with geometric shapes (dots, dashes, leaves). It has four straight plain legs with a square section.
Dimensions
  • Height: 59.5cm
  • Diameter: 61.3cm (table top) (Note: Also total width)
  • Height: 1.5cm (table top)
  • Height: 58cm (leg)
  • Depth: 4cm (leg)
  • Width: 4cm (leg)
Style
Gallery label
(2006)
‘WATER LILY’ OCCASIONAL TABLE

Designed and painted by Roger Fry (British, 1866-1934)
Decorated for Omega Workshops, London
Painted wood
About 1913

Given by Mrs Margaret Bulley
Misc.2(4)-1934
Credit line
Given by Mrs Margaret H. Armitage (née Bulley)
Object history
The table was given by Roger Fry to Margaret Bulley, who gave it to the Museum in 1934. Part of the Margaret Bulley Collection of Modern Decorative Art, lent to BGM in 1930.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This small occasional table was decorated by the painter Duncan Grant for the Omega Workshops. Roger Fry founded the workshops in 1913, both to provide work for artists and to try to remove the perceived division between the fine and decorative arts. In the workshop artists produced pieces that were generally anonymous, signed only by the Greek letter Omega. However, when this table came into the Museum, it was recorded as being the work of Duncan Grant.

Omega furniture was either designed by members of the workshops to be made by professional furniture makers, or bought second-hand to paint and resell. This plain table is likely to have been bought second-hand. Roger Fry gave it to Margaret Bulley, who donated it to the Museum in 1934, as part of her collection of early 20th-century decorative art, which was originally displayed at the Bethnal Green Museum. Her collection included many pieces from the Omega Workshops as well as work by other designers.
Bibliographic reference
Illustrated in Omega sales catalogue of 1914.
Collection
Accession number
MISC.2:4-1934

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Record createdApril 8, 2004
Record URL
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