A very beautiful Morris & Company embroidery, probably designed by May Morris. I do not know the design but the flowers and leaves look like those of the horned poppy. Perhaps the small red fruit are cherries? May used horned poppies in several embroideries. The embroidery is particularly nice because the embroiderer did not run out of the background silk and have to substitute a different colour. Most M & Co embroideries I see have a small area on the background worked in a different shade.
The centre with a poppy within a heart shaped stem, flanked each side by three more poppies on curved stems and leaves, with scattered small red fruits, in thick twisted pastel silks in shades apricot, peach, ivory, pale blue and green on a slightly darker green ground, bordered with embroidered lines, all on a cotton ground.
21 1/4 x 21 in; 54 x 53 cm
The embroidery is excellent. It appears unfaded. The canvas tape edging is quite old and a little marked on the right hand side. This could easily be removed and changed should you wish. This embroidery was clearly mounted up some time ago and you may wish to dismantle it and re do it. I doubt whether acid free board was used, which is what we would use now. As it now is it would be fine to get framed. Should you wish to have it re mounted we can easily do that for you. Ask for a quote.
* May Morris. Arts & Crafts Designer , Chapter 3. by Rowan Bain, Jenny Lister & Anna Mason. p 86 and 149 for poppy design.
William Morris by Linda Parry
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