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Source Description
When Morris designed <em>Snakeshead</em> 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.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
117128
label
Snakeshead
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
117128
contentType
object
title
Snakeshead
description
When Morris designed <em>Snakeshead</em> 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.
date
Early 20th century
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60757799
creators
24604
genreSpecific
Textile
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 85.1 x 100.3 cm (33 1/2 x 39 1/2 in.)
cul
England, Walthamstow, Early 20th century
accession
1937.695
Source extras
tec
plain weave cotton, printed
tombstone
Snakeshead, Early 20th century. William Morris (British, 1834–1896). Plain weave cotton, printed; overall: 85.1 x 100.3 cm (33 1/2 x 39 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. Henry Chisholm, 1937.695
collection
Textiles
citations
citation
Parry, Linda. William Morris Textiles. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1983.
page_number
no. 18, p. 150
citation
Korkow, Cory. "Textiles." IN <em>William Morris: Designing an Earthly Paradise.</em> Cory Korkow and Victoria Hepburn, 8-23. Cleveland, Ohio : Cleveland Museum of Art, 2017.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 16; reproduced:p. 17, fig. 11
creditline
Gift of Mrs. Henry Chisholm
updatedAt
2026-05-29 06:05:09.935000
sourceId
117128
dept
Textiles
coll
Textiles
med
plain weave cotton, printed
creatorTags
male
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
6acab8a85d5e0658