Live Auction 21922Three Private Collections: Belgravia, Berkshire and Guernsey
A LATE VICTORIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS WALNUT AND EMBROIDERY TWO-PANELLED SCREEN
Lot 122

A LATE VICTORIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS WALNUT AND EMBROIDERY TWO-PANELLED SCREEN

ATTRIBUTED TO MORRIS & CO., THE EMBROIDERY PROBABLY DESIGNED BY MAY MORRIS, LATE 19TH CENTURY

Closed25 May 2023

Estimate

GBP 2,500–4,000

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A LATE VICTORIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS WALNUT AND EMBROIDERY TWO-PANELLED SCREEN
ATTRIBUTED TO MORRIS & CO., THE EMBROIDERY PROBABLY DESIGNED BY MAY MORRIS, LATE 19TH CENTURY
The leaves each with pediment flanked by finials above an embroidered panel depicting a vase and floral arrangement above a folding shelf with later circular holes, on turned legs joined by a stretcher, previously with further brass rails below shelves
54 1/4 in. (138 cm.) high; 48 in. (122 cm.) wide; 1 1/4 in. (3 cm.) deep

Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, Australia, 24 May 1993, lot 219.

Specialist note


These panels are stitched in the Morris & Co. house style (darning with a stem stitch outline) and are typical of the high quality work produced by the embroidery department under the direction of William and Jane Morris's younger daughter May Morris (1862-1938), between 1885-1896. Morris & Co. also produced embroidery kits that could be worked at home.

Whilst this exact design is apparently not recorded, there are several references to ‘tulip’ in the Morris & Co. embroidery department day book in the National Art Library at the V&A and the striped pistil in two of the flowers in the right-hand panel closely resembles the Peony panel in the Morris & Co. Embroidery Work catalogue, circa 1912, which also illustrates a variety of single, two and three-fold screens for mounting embroideries, with related pediments and turned finials.

A very closely related panel to that depicted on the right-hand fold, the frame of which is stamped 'MORRIS & CO.', was sold anonymously, Christie's, South Kensington, 1 December 2005, lot 96.