"Swan House" Carpet
Design c. 1883, made 1887
Medium
Cotton and wool, plain weave with supplementary wrapping wefts forming "Ghiordes knots" cut pile
Dimensions
472.3 × 333.4 cm (186 × 131 1/4 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
47947
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This carpet was among the original furnishings of the John J. Glessner House on Prairie Avenue in Chicago, which was designed by the architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886) and completed in 1887. The carpet was located in the hall of the house and was one of the many furnishing textiles designed by Morris and other eminent Arts and Crafts textile designers and manufacturers of the period. The design and craftsmanship of decorative objects were of the utmost importance to Morris. His dedic...
About the Artist
William Morris · 1834–1896
William Morris (1834–1896) was a British designer, craftsman, writer, and socialist activist who became the most influential figure in the Arts and Crafts movement and one of the most important designers in British history. Born in Walthamstow, Essex, he studied at Oxford, where he formed a lifelong friendship with Edward Burne-Jones and came under the influence of John Ruskin's writings on art, l...