William and May Morris Acanthus

All the great art which the world has produced is in fact, decorative. ~John Ruskin, Modern Manufacture and Design

Victorian Luxury

William Morris described Acanthus as a "luxurious" pattern, a quality May worked throughout her embroidery implementation of her father's design. May's implementation is less bold than her father's design, and more in keeping with the smaller patterns favored by many Victorians.

These Acanthus tiles are based on a later Morris & Co. embroidery by May Morris, William Morris's younger daughter. By the 1890s, nearly all Morris & Co. designs were registered under the name of John Henry Dearle, who had initially worked as a shop assistant and then became a design apprentice. He was appointed chief designer at Morris & Co. in 1890 and while May's Acanthus clearly shows the hand of John Henry Dearle (see the daffodils), it even more exemplifies the style of May Morris, who headed the Embroidery Department at Morris and Co. both before and after her father's death in 1896.

Acanthus Embroidery Single Tiles

Designer: William Morris, implemented by May Morris

Date: As early as 1874, but Acanthus evolved well into the 1880s and beyond.

Backgrounds: White, wheat (warm white), cobalt, black

Pricing for May's Acanthus Single Tiles

6 x 6 inch tiles: $66 each

8 x 8 inch tiles: $81 each

Custom border (18 tile) based on the 12 tile mural.