Tulips and peacocks : William Morris and art from the Islamic world / edited by Rowan Bain..

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Bain, Rowan, editor, curator.

Khan, Qaisra M., curator.

William Morris Gallery and Brangwyn Gift (London, England), issuing body.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Morris, William, 1834-1896--Criticism and interpretation.

Morris, William.

Islamic art and symbolism--Influence.

Islamic art and symbolism.

Islamic textile fabrics--Influence.

Islamic textile fabrics.

Islamic art.

Decorative arts--England--History--19th century.

Decorative arts.

Physical Description:

200 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 28 cm

Other Title:

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

William Morris and art from the Islamic world

Place of Publication:

New Haven : Yale University Press in association with William Morris Gallery, [2024].

Summary:

"An introduction to William Morris's personal collection of artworks from the Islamic world and how they came to influence his pattern-making. One of the principal founders of the Arts and Crafts movement, William Morris was responsible for hundreds of patterns for wallpapers, fabrics, tapestries, and carpets that are iconic of the late nineteenth century and continue to resonate today. It is now widely acknowledged that his artistic production was stimulated by his deep familiarity with embroideries, woven velvets, silks, carpets, and metalwork from Iran, Syria, and Turkey, which he collected throughout his lifetime. Ranging from popular nineteenth-century tourist merchandise to rare artefacts of historical significance, Morris's collection is a testament to the interconnectedness of global artistic traditions and the enduring importance of recognising the contributions of various cultures to the evolution of his design and craftsmanship. This highly illustrated publication offers diverse perspectives in contextualising Morris's role within contemporary debates around colonial collecting, Islam's representation in the museum context, and issues of cultural appropriation from contributors within the field of British Arts and Crafts and Art from the Islamic world."-- Publisher's website.

"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.

Notes:

Published in conjunction with the exhibition "William Morris & Art from the Islamic World" held at the William Morris Gallery, London, England, November 9, 2024-March 9, 2025.

"[The exhibition] William Morris & Art from the Islamic World is curated by Rowan Bain, principal curator of the William Morris Gallery, and Qaisra M. Khan, Curator of Islamic Art,".--William Morris Gallery.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 183-189) and index.

ISBN:

9780300276169

0300276168

OCLC:

1428037366