This hanging is a rare example of a collaboration between three members of the Morris family: William, who designed the honeysuckle pattern, and his wife Jane and daughter Jenny, who embroidered the fabric.
Jane Morris (née Burden) met William while working as a model for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and married him soon afterwards. She had been discovered by Burne-Jones and Rossetti at a theatre in Oxford, and Rossetti's paintings of her – one of which was used as the lead image for Tate Britain's recent Pre-Raphaelite exhibition – have become iconic. Their elder daughter, Jenny, developed epilepsy as a child and would spend her adult life being cared for by the family. There are very few pieces that can be definitely attributed to either Jenny's or Jane's hand, making this hanging a significant addition to the William Morris Gallery collection.
Provenance
May Morris; Kelmsott Manor; Dreweatts, Donnington Priory Salerooms; Martin Levy.