"Wandle"

Printed furnishing textile on navy blue cotton. It is decorated with big flowers joined by slithering three-colored bands, creating a diagonal pattern. It was designed by William Morris (1834-1896), English architect, designer, craftsman and theorist.
This design was registered in 1884 under the term Wandle, named after the river stream running through Morris and co’s. Merton Abbey Works (Surrey) and where the Section of Textile Printing had been since 1881, becaming an innovative spot for dyeing techniques.
The main source of inspiration has medieval origins, especially Italian velvets from the 15th century, and just like these ones, the composition is marked by a strong diagonal with a winding branch shape, frequently used from 1883 on. It was designed in 1883 and, although the patent is from 1884 and it was probably manufactured between 1910 and 1917.