— AUCTIONS — TOP: A MORRIS & CO. WALNUT FRAMED EMBROIDERY INSET FIRE SCREEN $1,200 – 2,000 MIDDLE: Attributed to George Jack,
designer, born New York 1855 died London 1932 MORRIS & COMPANY, London, manufacturer, established 1861 completed 1940 Bric-a-brac cabinet 1885, London walnut, glass 110.0 x 420.0 x 44.0 cm Gift of Anthony Hurl through the Art Gallery of South Australia Foundation 2008 Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide 20083F5 BELOW: William Morris stained glass
of the Three Wise Men, All Saints Church, Sheepy Magna, Leicestershire, England, UK / Alamy
Adelaide The Influential Designs of William Morris — The enormous increase in wealth enjoyed by South Australia in the second half of the 19th Century, concentrated across a small number of significant families, created a need for interiors and furnishings on a lavish scale. Unlike their established Anglo-Scottish antecedents with fully furnished ancestral homes, these newly prosperous individuals were building large mansions which needed complete interiors to be developed from scratch. William Morris and Morris & Co., as a result of strategic collaborations, were able to supply not only papers and
Morris collaborated with many important figures in the
textiles, but soft furnishings, furniture, lighting, glassware,
design and supply of furniture. One such collaboration
and ceramics. This resulted in these few Australian families
is the illustrated bookcase designed by George Jack in
being amongst Morris’ largest clients. Consequently, South
the collection of the Art Gallery of South Australia. In
Australia is fortunate to have internationally significant
some instances, the client was able to participate in the
collections of decorative arts either by, or relating to,
collaboration, being provided with the piece of furniture and
William Morris.
an accompanying kit of silks, to be embroidered to a design
Most readers would be familiar with Morris’ wallpapers,
supplied by Morris & Co.
produced under licence today by Sanderson, and perhaps the
Leonard Joel is delighted to offer a walnut fire screen,
curtain fabrics. The less secular amongst us may be familiar
stamped ‘Morris & Co 49 Oxford St W’ and numbered ‘1311’
with the superb stained glass installed in various churches
embroidered in coloured silks, sold in kit form by the Oxford
around Adelaide. Arguably the best windows, ironically given
Street shop. For a related screen, please see Exhibit M.28,
Morris’ socialist leanings, are in the Adelaide Stock Exchange
Victoria and Albert Museum, Centenary Exhibition ‘William
building, where many of his Adelaide clients made or at least
Morris 1834-1896’ illustrated on page 247 in Linda Parry’s,
augmented their fortunes.
‘William Morris’, 1996, Philip Wilson Publishers in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum. ANTHONY HURL / South Australia Representative Specialist
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