An important William Morris Hammersmith carpet
England, circa 1880-90.
15ft 1in x 7ft 10in : 459cm x 238cm
The present carpet would have been woven between 1880-1890 and is considered an early work designed by William Morris (1834-96) himself, as opposed to the more commercial weavings from 1890 supplied by the Morris & Company firm and under the designs leadership of John Henry Dearle (1860-1932). The design is rare as only one other carpet of similar design and format, though different colouring, is known to exist.
The field design has similarities to the Little Flowers, as does the slightly narrow and long format with similar exceptionally wide borders, though here on a rare white ground colour.
Morris insisted that his carpets should have...gothic crispness and clearness of detail, which the present carpet duly has.
Literature:
Oliver Fairclough & Emmeline Leary, Textiles by William Morris & Morris & Co. 1861-1940, Thames & Hudson, 1981, p47 pl C21. (Similar illustrated, though of later date).
Linda Parry, William Morris Textiles, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1983, p94.
Similar Example: The Peter Brant Collection, U.S.A.
Price : P.O.A.
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