How Many Colours Did Morris Use in a Pattern?

The short answer, and why it needs a caveat

The short answer is that the supplied institutional evidence does not record a specific number of colours for any single Morris pattern, so no exact figure can be given. Repeating a number without a source would be guesswork, and Morris's work attracts plenty of confident claims that do not trace back to a record.

The closest verified fact is technical rather than numerical. According to the V&A, Morris wallpapers printed in distemper, water-based colours by wood-block could achieve a large number of shades using these methods. That tells us the technique allowed a wide colour range, but it does not tell us how many colours any one pattern actually used.

What the evidence actually says about colour in Morris wallpapers

The V&A records that the London firm Jeffrey & Co., which specialised in high quality 'Art' wallpapers, printed Morris wallpapers in distemper, water-based colours which gave a thick chalky effect. The same museum record states that the wood-blocks were cut by a family firm, Barrett's of Bethnal Green, who dealt directly with Morris's firm in the transfer of designs.

Two wallpaper specimens in the V&A show how colour appears in documented examples. The 'Wreath' wallpaper specimen, museum number O248613, is a foliate pattern of entwined green leaves and blue flowers, designed by William Morris, dated 1876 and printed on paper in England. The 'Vine' specimen, museum number O16974, is a foliate design of two types of leaves and grapes, hand printed in distemper colours by wood block on paper.

The V&A states that 'Vine' was printed by Jeffrey & Co. for Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., which ties the colour description to a named printer and a named firm. The museum record gives the first issue as 1874, with a production date also given as 1873, a small discrepancy worth flagging when citing the design.

Colour beyond wallpaper: the 'Lily' carpet

Wallpapers were not the only medium, and colour worked differently in woven cloth. The V&A's 'Lily' carpet sample, museum number O89256, is machine-woven woollen pile on jute, designed by William Morris, made by Wilton Royal Carpet Factory Ltd. in Wiltshire and retailed by Morris & Co., around 1875.

The V&A states that in the 'Lily' carpet the pattern is formed on the surface by different coloured warp thread loops, which are cut, and that the wool is dyed in natural colours. Again, the record describes the colouring method in detail but gives no count of shades, which is a useful reminder that 'how many colours' depends on the medium as much as the design.

Where the record runs out

Several gaps matter for this question. No supplied excerpt gives the number of colour-ways or shades for individual patterns such as 'Wreath', 'Vine' or 'Lily'. No excerpt explains how many wood-blocks or print runs a typical Morris wallpaper required. And the Morris quotation referenced in the V&A material is truncated, so no verbatim statement by Morris about colours is available here.

Dates can also wobble between records. As noted above, the V&A gives 'Vine' both a production date of 1873 and a first issue of 1874. For context on the firms involved, the V&A states that Morris founded Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. in 1861, which became Morris & Co. in 1875, which helps place the examples above in the firm's timeline.

Related questions

Some neighbouring questions can be answered from the same records.

Points covered by the V&A's documentation:

• Jeffrey & Co., a London firm specialising in high quality 'Art' wallpapers, printed Morris wallpapers in distemper colours (V&A).
• Distemper colours are water-based colours that gave Morris wallpapers a thick chalky effect (V&A).
• Documented specimens such as 'Vine' and 'Wreath' are held by the V&A under their museum numbers, and the museum's 'Volume 1' pattern book contains 25 Morris & Co. patterns.

If the question comes from planning a lesson or a practical exercise, a sensible approach is to count the distinct shades visible in a documented specimen and label the count as your own observation, not an institutional figure. Teachers can find Morris art lessons in detail on the site, and anyone drawing their own pattern can follow drawing a Morris-style pattern step by step. For clarity on namesakes, see the different William Morrises in detail.