This article forms part of the Decorative and Applied Arts Encyclopedia, a master reference hub providing a structured overview of design history, materials, movements, and practitioners.
Design Classic – Influential and important design
Snakehead Fabric
- Designer: William Morris
- Material: plain weave cotton, printed
- Manufacturer: England, Walthamstow, Early 20th century
When Morris created Snakehead in 1877, British India was a popular source for imported Indian silks. Small motifs and the striking red and black colour scheme, popular for a short time before people turned to paler tones, make this design stand out. Despite the colour scheme suggesting far-off, warmer locales, Morris’s favourite flower, the fritillary, which he recalled growing in the meadows near Oxford, is depicted in the pattern.
Sources
Snakeshead – William Morris (British, 1834-1896) – Google Arts & Culture. (n.d.). Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved March 30, 2023, from https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/snakeshead-william-morris-british-1834-1896/EAG9Hvs3jRQdIA
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