Rowan Bain – författare

A passionate advocate of craftsmanship over mass-production, William Morris (1834– 1896) designed a huge variety of objects, but it is his highly original carpet, fabric and wallpaper patterns that have continued to capture the imagination and exert their influence on the decorative arts. Around 600 such designs are attributed to Morris, of which the vast majority are based on natural forms, including trees, plants and flowers. This beautifully designed, accessibly priced gift book offers a wealth of designs by Morris in which flowers are the principal motif, bringing together not only completed patterns but also working drawings in pen and watercolour, and examples of his pearwood, floral-pattern printing blocks. It also explores examples of the sources that inspired Morris’s flower-based designs: his own gardens at the Red House in Kent, Kelmscott Manor in Oxfordshire and elsewhere; 16th- and 17th-century herbals; illuminated medieval manuscripts; late medieval and Renaissance tapestries; and a range of decorated objects, particularly from the Islamic world, that Morris studied at the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A). Authored by Rowan Bain, curator at the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow, north London, and lavishly illustrated with almost 100 colour illustrations, this exquisite book will both inform and delight

An introduction to William Morris’s personal collection of artworks from the Islamic world and how they came to influence his pattern-making  One of the principal founders of the Arts and Crafts movement, William Morris was responsible for hundreds of patterns for wallpapers, fabrics, tapestries, and carpets that are iconic of the late nineteenth century and continue to resonate today. It is now widely acknowledged that his artistic production was stimulated by his deep familiarity with embroideries, woven velvets, silks, carpets, and metalwork from Iran, Syria, and Turkey, which he collected throughout his lifetime.  Ranging from popular nineteenth-century tourist merchandise to rare artefacts of historical significance, Morris’s collection is a testament to the interconnectedness of global artistic traditions and the enduring importance of recognising the contributions of various cultures to the evolution of his design and craftsmanship. This highly illustrated publication offers diverse perspectives in contextualising Morris’s role within contemporary debates around colonial collecting, Islam’s representation in the museum context, and issues of cultural appropriation from contributors within the field of British Arts and Crafts and Art from the Islamic world.