See more objects with the tag floral, chrysanthemums, foliage, neutral colors, Arts and Crafts.

Object Timeline

1978

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2014

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2024

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Sidewall, Chrysanthemum

This is a sidewall. It was designed by William Morris and manufactured by Jeffrey & Company. It is dated 1877 and we acquired it in 1978. Its medium is block-printed paper. It is a part of the Wallcoverings department.

In 1871, Morris acquired a joint tenancy lease at Kelmscott Manor, the family’s country home in southern England. Rambles through the surrounding area sparked a profusion of floral designs, including that shown here. This period also marked the beginning of Morris’s interest in natural dyes. The designer pursued the use of plant matter to make dyes more visually
harmonious and less toxic than the aniline dyes common to the market in the latter half of the 19th century

This object was donated by Mr. Bruce Bechdel. It is credited Gift of Mr. Bruce Bechdel.

Our curators have highlighted 2 objects that are related to this one.

  • Sidewall, Vine
  • block-printed paper.
  • Gift of Arthur Sanderson & Sons, Ltd..
  • 1970-1-15-a/d

Its dimensions are

74.5 x 55.5 cm (29 5/16 x 21 7/8 in.)

Cite this object as

Sidewall, Chrysanthemum; Designed by William Morris (British, 1834–1896); Manufactured by Jeffrey & Company (United Kingdom); England; block-printed paper; 74.5 x 55.5 cm (29 5/16 x 21 7/8 in.); Gift of Mr. Bruce Bechdel; 1978-159-1-a,b

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Botanical Expressions.

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If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18496587/ |title=Sidewall, Chrysanthemum |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=18 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>