Design for 'Artichoke, Birds and Squirrels' textile

This watercolour by Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo was intended as a large scale design for a textile, but was never put into production. The design features an artichoke plant with birds and squirrels feeding from the heads of the flowering globe artichoke. Squirrels were a favourite animal for Mackmurdo, who applied them throughout his work, including the textile 'Bramble and Squirrel' (see William Morris Gallery F65).