5’7″ x 9’5″
We would like to thank the William Morris specialist Linda Perry from The Victoria and Albert Museum, London for identifying the authenticity of this masterwork as one of few surviving carpets woven in the William Morris workshop and designed by John Henry Dearle.
“This directional design William Morris Hammersmith rug with overlying formalized clusters of stylized flowers and leaves including blooming lotus flowers, olive green palm trees, heart shaped stems filled with blue-green leafs and red flowers, various shades of beige, blue, green, cream and russet, on a deep blue ground, the border with olive green and beige palms connected with lotus flower vines, in beige, green and gold, on a russet ground, narrow alternating brown and cream narrow border and a blue outer edge
William Morris ‘Hammersmith’ Carpet, hand knotted for Morris & Co, designed by John Henry Dearle circa 1890-95
5’7″ x 9’5″
We would like to thank the William Morris specialist Linda Perry from The Victoria and Albert Museum, London for identifying the authenticity of this masterwork as one of few surviving carpets woven in the William Morris workshop and designed by John Henry Dearle.
“This directional design Hammersmith rug with overlying formalized clusters of stylized flowers and leaves including blooming lotus flowers, olive green palm trees, heart shaped stems filled with blue-green leafs and red flowers, various shades of beige, blue, green, cream and russet, on a deep blue ground, the border with olive green and beige palms connected with lotus flower vines, in beige, green and gold, on a russet ground, narrow alternating brown and cream narrow border and a blue outer edge
This important, beautiful and extremely rare original rug William Morris ‘Hammersmith’ Carpet, hand knotted for Morris & Co is a closely related small version of the rug which sold at Sotheby’s recently with a world record.
please read bellow for the lot sold at Sotheby’s for reference.
“In 1889 William Morris (1834 – 1896), reputedly, created his final carpet design for his firm Morris & Co. The following year John Henry Dearle (1860 – 1932) succeeded as principal designer for all carpets manufactured in Hammersmith and Merton Abbey. Dearle was designer of embroideries with May Morris from 1885 and had also been William’s design assistant, however by his appointment in 1890 he had clearly developed his own style. He recognized the importance of maintaining the link between the company’s founder and its future success, the same had been true in the previous years when May had undertaken the management and design of the embroideries. Yet Dearle was progressive and prepared the company for the shift in the market at the turn of the century; in which the Morris-led Arts and Crafts approach was being overshadowed by the desire for the exotic.
In keeping with Morris’s ideals Dearle’s designs incorporated many of the original, quintessentially British, flora and fauna motifs. He combined the importance of finesse in textile draftsmanship and an understanding, no doubt under Morris’s influence, of the Persian designs of the 16th and 17th centuries, in particular the ‘vase’ design from the Safavid era. These two disciplines allowed more extravagant and complicated patterns which prepared the company for the oncoming 20th century market. This can certainly be seen in the present lot when compared to the William Morris designed carpet made for the Wyndham family in circa 1887. However a certain stylistic symmetry is maintained, perhaps due to his training with embroideries and working with the talented May.
Morris’s impact on Dearle is clearly visible when considering the Wyndham’s ‘Clouds’ carpet with the present lot. Although smaller in size the ‘Hammersmith’ adopts the Morris school of design which can be seen through the use of the chequered tulips, scrolling acanthus, stylized roses, open palmette bulbs and scrolling vinery motifs and the use of colouring. It is the extravagance in the overall design which makes the present lot stand out as a work of Dearle’s and marks an important change in the trajectory for designs produced by the company.”
Rugs & More of Santa Barbara provides California and the West Coast with the most comprehensive collection of new and antique oriental rugs, modern carpets and contemporary floor covering. Furthermore, For three generations, Rugs & More has become the most trusted and reliable source for rugs and floor coverings for home decor.
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Any type of area Rugs, Antique Rugs, Vintage Rugs, Modern Rugs, Traditional Rugs, Transitional Rug, Contemporary Rugs, Tapestries and wall hangings, Shag Rugs, Woven Rugs, Flat Rugs, Hand Braided, Hand Woven, Hand Hooked – we offer them all! We help you to roll out the decorating groundwork in each room with one or more of our rugs! Our rugs are only of the highest quality.
Shapes: we carry all shapes and sizes. Round, Square, Rectangular, Oval, and Custom Sizes. Furthermore, We offer the following Services at Rugs and More: Stain Removal; Rug Washing; Rug Repair and Restoration; Surging; Binding; Re-sizing; Rug Appraisals; and Rug Installation.
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