"Corncockle" block printed curtain, 1 of 2
Date1883
MediumFive-color block-printed on linen, cotton lining
Dimensions110 x 67 in. (279.4 x 170.2 cm)
Credit LineAcquisition Fund, 1982
Object number1982-65.1
On View
Not on view"Corncockle" block printed curtain, 1 of 2
Label TextThis pattern, designed by William Morris in 1883 combines elements of the natural world - cornflowers and dahlias or sunflowers - with more abstracted patterning, an unusual pairing but one that was not without historical precedent. The pattern was block printed by hand on the fabric. Morris preferred this historical technique rather than machine-printed rollers which were in widespread use by the mid-1800s.
