A woven wall-hanging
A woven wall-hanging

DESIGNED BY A. H. MACKMURDO FOR THE CENTURY GUILD, WOVEN BY A.H. LEE & SONS, 1887-8

Details
A woven wall-hanging
Designed by A. H. Mackmurdo for the Century Guild, woven by A.H. Lee & Sons, 1887-8
Wool and cotton, framed
72 by 47in. (185 by 119.5cm.) dimensions including frame
Provenance
The Fine Art Society.
Purchased by the present owner, 6th May 1981.

Lot Essay

Cf: Linda Parry, Textiles of the Arts and Crafts Movement, London, 1988, pp. 56 and 63, pl. 61

Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo, revolutionary architect and designer, was the founder member of the Century Guild in 1882. The Guild designed a wide range of decorative arts which were then produced by outside firms such as A.H. Lee (woven fabrics) and Morris & Co. (early experimental carpets). Mackmurdo was responsible for designing most of the textile patterns for the Guild, and the progressive inventiveness of his designs, contrasting an avant-garde architectural quality with a swirling linearity, anticipated the Art Nouveau style and the later work of Voysey. His designs were shown as part of the Century Guild's exhibits at the first Arts and Crafts Exhibition, held in 1888, and it is probable that the current design was amongst those exhibited.

A similar example to the present lot is in the permanent collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum.

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