Collection Online as of December 3, 2023

Snakeshead

Early 20th century

designed in imitation of

William Morris

(British, 1834–1896)

England, Walthamstow, Early 20th century

Plain weave cotton, printed

Overall: 85.1 x 100.3 cm (33 1/2 x 39 1/2 in.)

Gift of Mrs. Henry Chisholm 1937.695

Location

not on view

Description

When Morris designed Snakeshead in 1877, Indian silks were in style and widely imported from British India. This design stands out for its diminutive motifs and the strong red and black colors, which were fashionable only for a short time before paler hues regained favor with clients. While its color scheme suggests distant lands with warmer climates, the pattern showcases one of Morris’s favorite flowers: the fritillary, a wildflower that he remembered growing in the meadows near Oxford.

Citations

Parry, Linda. William Morris Textiles. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1983. no. 18, p. 150

Korkow, Cory. "Textiles." IN William Morris: Designing an Earthly Paradise. Cory Korkow and Victoria Hepburn, 8-23. Cleveland, Ohio : Cleveland Museum of Art, 2017. Mentioned: p. 16; reproduced:p. 17, fig. 11

Exhibition history

Design in Printed Textiles. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 7-September 3, 1961).

William Morris: Designing an Earthly Paradise. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 24, 2017-January 14, 2019).