About this artwork
Morris & Co. produced this two-color design using a simple, age-old technique: the white pattern of rabbits and birds nestled among acorns and oak leaves was block printed with a substance that would resist the dye. When the fabric was immersed in a dye bath (seen here in red), the background—all of the unprinted fabric—absorbed the color to reveal the pattern in white.
Block printing using either a color or a substance that resists color (or a combination of the two techniques) was the standard method for all of Morris & Co.’s cotton fabrics.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Textiles
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Artists
- William Morris (Designer) , Morris & Co. (Producer) , Merton Abbey Works (Printer)
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Title
- Brer Rabbit (or Brother Rabbit)
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Places
- Merton Abbey Works (Object made in:), England (Object made in:), London (Object made in:), Great Britain (Object made in:)
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Dates
- Copyrighted 1882 , Printed 1917-1940 , Designed 1881
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Medium
- Madder vat dyed and block printed cotton
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Inscriptions
- Selvedges: REGD MORRIS & COMPANY (wavy)
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Dimensions
- 141 × 193 cm (55 1/2 × 76 in.); Repeat: 33.5 × 23 cm (13 1/4 × 9 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Crab Tree Farm Foundation
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Reference Number
- 2018.838
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
