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"Swan House" Carpet

A work made of cotton and wool, plain weave with supplementary wrapping wefts forming "ghiordes knots" cut pile.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of cotton and wool, plain weave with supplementary wrapping wefts forming "ghiordes knots" cut pile.

Date:

Design c. 1883, made 1887

Artist:

Designed by William Morris (English, 1834–1896)
Produced by Morris & Co., London (English, 1875–1940)
Merton Abbey, London (English, 1881–1940)

About this artwork

This carpet was among the original furnishings of the John J. Glessner House on Prairie Avenue in Chicago, which was designed by the architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886) and completed in 1887. The carpet was located in the hall of the house and was one of the many furnishing textiles designed by Morris and other eminent Arts and Crafts textile designers and manufacturers of the period.

The design and craftsmanship of decorative objects were of the utmost importance to Morris. His dedicated interest in understanding, practicing, and mastering textile-manufacturing techniques, coupled with his belief in the benefits of beauty in everyday life, made him and his firm among the most celebrated in British history. In the 1870s Morris began designing hand-knotted and machine-made carpets. He had long been interested in historical carpets, and many could be found in his personal collection. Here Morris looked to Turkish and Persian rugs for inspiration, utilizing a layout with a central medallion set in a field of interlacing stylized flowers and foliage framed by a border of continuous palmettes.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Artists

William Morris (Designer) , Morris & Co. (Producer) , Merton Abbey Works (Weaver)

Title

"Swan House" Carpet

Places

London (Object made in), Prairie Avenue, 1800 South (Object made for), England (Object made in), Chicago (Object made for), Merton Abbey Works (Object made in), Great Britain (Object made in)

Dates

Made 1887 , Designed 1883

Medium

Cotton and wool, plain weave with supplementary wrapping wefts forming "Ghiordes knots" cut pile

Dimensions

472.3 × 333.4 cm (186 × 131 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. Charles F. Batchelder

Reference Number

1974.524

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/47947/manifest.json

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.

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