Tulips and peacocks: William Morris and art from the Islamic world

Abstract

"A principal founder of the Arts and Crafts Movement, William Morris was responsible for producing hundreds of patterns for wallpapers, furnishing fabrics, carpets and embroideries, helping to introduce a new aesthetic into British interiors. While it has long been acknowledged that Morris was inspired by Islamic art, this will be the first exhibition to examine this important aspect of his artistic journey in depth. Alongside his own iconic designs, outstanding examples of Islamic textiles, ceramics, metalwork and manuscripts from Morris's personal collection - now belonging to major UK institutions including the British Library, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge - will be brought together for the first time to reveal the wider impacts of these objects, their designs and impressions on Morris's creative output. The umbrella terms "Islamic world" and "Islamic art" are widely used to facilitate the categorisation of art produced in areas where Islam was the dominant religion or the religion of those who ruled. However, they perpetuate the notion that there is a single identity or uniformity within the vast output of production from across huge geographical regions. These ideas will be explored and discussed further in the exhibition and public programme. Featuring over 60 works, the exhibition will demonstrate how some of Morris's best-known designs such as Flower Garden (1879), Wild Tulip and Granada (1884) were directly inspired by Islamic surface design and its technical application. This exhibition sets out to enrich our appreciation of Morris's work and broaden our understanding of the underlying influences of this quintessentially British designer. The exhibition is made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Garfield Weston Foundation."-- William Morris Gallery website, exhibition description.

Contents

Preface / Hadrian Garrard -- An introduction / Rowan Bain -- Sharing beauty : William Morris and art from the Islamic world / Qaisra M. Khan -- Creating scenes from the Arabian nights : displaying Islamic art in British homes in the late nineteenth century / Melanie Gibson -- Ottoman velvets in workshops and at home : pattern, motif, materials and labour / Amanda Phillips -- Morris, Cockerell and Iznik tiles at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge / Rebecca Bridgman -- 'The palmy days of Persian design' : William Morris's engagements with carpets from Safavid Iran / Moya Carey -- May Morris as collector and donor of textiles rom the Islamic world / Thomas Cooper -- Tulips and peacocks : the influence of art from the Islamic world in William Morris's patterns / Rowan Bain and Qaisra M. Khan -- The best of British : recontextualising William Morris / Joanna Bradford -- From Kelmscott to Cambridge : Britain's long encounter with the Islamic arts / Shahed Saleem.