A MORRIS & CO. 'HAMMERSMITH' RUG

WITH HAMMERSMITH TRADEMARK, DESIGNED BY WILLIAM MORRIS AND WOVEN CIRCA 1880

Details

A MORRIS & CO. 'HAMMERSMITH' RUG
with Hammersmith Trademark, designed by William Morris and woven circa 1880
The black ground within a polychrome stylized flowering urn within a wide open medium indigo border with Hammersmith monogram
Approximately 3ft. 8in. x 2ft. 5in. (112cm. x 74cm.)

Literature

S. Day, et al. Great Carpets of the World, 1996, p.300, fig. 294

Lot Essay

This is an extremely rare, early example of William Morris' involvement in the weaving of hand-knotted carpets produced in the coach house and stables of his house, Kelmscott House in Hammersmith. The trademark incorporates an "M" (for Morris), a hammer (for Hammersmith) and wavy lines (representing the Thames). All of the Kelmscott era carpets are of similar small size.
cf. Linda Parry, William Morris,1996, p. 279, M101 and Malcolm Haslam, Arts & Crafts Carpets, 1991, p. 64, fig. 39 for further illustrations of this model.