Since Medievel times, tapestries have been a symbol of prosperity and prestige. Today they are considered luxurious, decorative and highly collectible works of art which can transform homes, offices, hotels and restaurants. Modern weaving techniques have made these exceptionally fine wall hangings, once only the domain of the very affluent, significantly more accessable.
William Morris was born in Essex (hoorah) a man of the people and believed art should be for everyone, not just the elite. Reviving many ancient crafts, tapestry weaving amongst them, was an opportunity to do this. I have William Morris wallpaper in my dining room - which I have never tired of in the thirty years it's been on the wall - so can attest to his success in achieving this aim. Marianne Stokes one of his designers is, I'm delighted to say, an ancestor on my mothers side. He built a high-warp loom in his bedroom and taught himself to weave from an 18th century French craft manual. He visited French weavers and the ailing Aubusson factory. With friends such as Edward Burne-Jones, John Henry Dearle they formed Morris & Co. An important part of the Arts & Crafts movement which he headed.
Their influence was spread far and wide from architecture to gardens. They designed tapestries based on medieval styles and techniques and became a commercial success reviving the ancient craft. Perhaps best known for his Tree of Life tapestry shown below. Much of Morris & Co.'s design work and manufacturing was done at Merton Abbey, a village on the River Wandle in Surrey. Despite his ambition to be a painter and his later reputation as a writer, poet, publisher, political thinker and activist, it is as a designer of patterns, particularly botanical images, for which he is most well known
This is the most comprehensive collection of it's kind in the United Kingdom. From the gift-size screen and printed pieces to pure wool hand-woven wall hangings, the collection presents tapestries to suit a wide range of tastes and budgets.