Motif Study · Plant Motifs
Anemones in William Morris Designs
Two documented designs carry the anemone in Morris's work: the furnishing fabric 'Bird and Anemone' and a wallpaper titled 'Anemone', both in the Victoria and Albert Museum's records.
On this page
Two further works appear in the records without anemones named in their descriptions. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds a printed cotton titled 'Borage' (accession 23.163.6), designed 1883 and printed 1917-23, made by Merton Abbey Tapestry Works. The Art Institute of Chicago records the 'Swan House' Carpet (1974.524) as designed by William Morris and produced by Morris & Co., London, with work at Merton Abbey, London, design circa 1883 and made 1887, and notes it was among the original furnishings of the John J. Glessner House. Neither record describes anemones in these designs, so they are listed here only as context, not as examples of the motif.
A pattern for both cloth and wall
'Bird and Anemone' is one of the few repeating patterns that Morris used for both textiles and wallpapers. The V&A states this directly in its summary of the design. What the material gathered for this page does not show is a surviving wallpaper specimen of the pattern, so its wallpaper life cannot be described here in detail.
The fabric itself has a layered printing history. The V&A records production dates for O78906 as 'before June 1881' and '1882-1919', a spread that suggests the pattern stayed in production over a long period. The museum also notes that its example was surface printed later in madder, a natural red plant dye, on a dyed cotton ground.
For readers tracing how Morris built patterns from single plants, the anemone sits alongside better documented motifs such as the the story of Acanthus Leaf and the more on Roses in our wider guide to flowers in Morris designs.
The 'Anemone' wallpaper
The V&A holds wallpaper specimens titled 'Anemone', under museum numbers O248921 and O248925. The records describe stems of scalloped leaves and anemone flowers, printed as colour machine prints on paper.
According to the V&A, the wallpaper was designed by William Morris, published by Morris & Co. and printed by Jeffrey & Co. The specimens are dated late 19th century and come from a pattern book of Morris & Co. wallpapers.
The pattern book itself is undated, and the V&A notes that many of Morris & Co.'s later wallpapers were designed by J. H. Dearle and other designers employed by the company. The specimens were given to the museum by Mr Allan F.
Design-by-design summary
| Design | Museum | Museum number | Medium | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bird and Anemone, furnishing fabric | Victoria and Albert Museum | O78906 | Block-printed cotton, white on a red ground; the V&A example later surface printed in madder on a dyed cotton ground | Production recorded as before June 1881 and 1882-1919 |
| Anemone, wallpaper | Victoria and Albert Museum | O248921 and O248925 | Colour machine prints on paper, stems of scalloped leaves and anemone flowers | Late 19th century; pattern book undated |
What the records leave open
The production dates for 'Bird and Anemone' span 'before June 1881' and '1882-1919'. The V&A gives both without resolving which applies to the surviving example, so this page reports the spread rather than choosing a date.
The attribution of the 'Anemone' wallpaper is the second open question. The V&A credits William Morris as its designer, but the same record notes that the pattern book is undated and that many of Morris & Co.'s later wallpapers were designed by J. H. Dearle and other company designers, without confirming the designer of this specimen. Readers comparing Morris's own drawing with later company work may find the our guide to Tulips useful, since it raises similar attribution questions.
No botanical identification of the flowers in either design is given in the records used here, and no interpretation of the anemone motif by a named author is available for this page. Both points are left open rather than filled in.
If these two designs leave you wanting more botanical patterns, browse the William Morris Style Flower Prints collection, or continue with our guide to flowers in Morris designs for the other blooms in the series.
Sources & further reading
- Victoria and Albert MuseumV&A O78906: Bird and AnemoneMuseum collection databaseRead source
- Victoria and Albert MuseumV&A O248921: AnemoneMuseum collection databaseRead source
- Victoria and Albert MuseumV&A O248925: AnemoneMuseum collection databaseRead source
- Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe Met 23.163.6: BorageMuseum collection databaseRead source
- Art Institute of ChicagoArt Institute of Chicago 1974.524: "Swan House" CarpetMuseum collection databaseRead source
