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Lot Essay
THE PRESENT LOT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED RECENTLY AS THE CARPET ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR THE HOME OF ALEXANDER IONIDES HOUSE AT 1 HOLLAND PARK IN 1883.
WITHIN LESS THAN A DECADE OF THE CREATION OF THE INTERIOR BY PHILIP WEBB AND WILLIAM MORRIS, IT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OF ITS ERA AND SUMMARISED BY LEWIS DAY AS 'A REALLY BEAUTIFUL HOUSE, FULL OF BEAUTIFUL THINGS, AN IDEAL INTERIOR IN ITS WAY' (ART JOURNAL, 1893, P. 144). THE CARPET WAS PLACED IN THE SECOND DRAWING ROOM (SEE CONTEMPORARY ILLUSTRATION) WHICH WAS 'HUNG WITH A SOBER TEXTILE MATERIAL, IN WHICH THE PATTERN MERGES ITSELF INTO A GENERAL TINT OF GREENISH OR GREYISH BLUE, ACCORDING TO THE ANGLE AT WHICH THE LIGHT HAPPENS TO FALL UPON IT; THE WINDOW CURTAINS ARE OF THE SAME, AND THE WOODWORK IS PAINTED A QUIET GREEN, WHICH IS REALLY A LOWER TONE OF THE PREVAILING TINT. THE BRIGHTER COLORING RECURS IN THE CEILING, WHICH IS PAINTED WITH FLORAL ORNAMENTS, IN FLORAL COLOURS, ON A WHITE GROUND; IN THE CARPET WITH ITS BLUE GROUND;' (ART JOURNAL, 1893, P. 141).
AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE THE CARPET COST £113 (CF. THE MORRIS & CO. ESTIMATE AND BILL FOR THE DECORATION AND FURNISHING OF 1 HOLLAND PARK, 2 MAY 1883, VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM, NAL MS. L. 885-1954. THE PATTERN PROVED TO BE A POPULAR ONE. WHEN SEEN WITHIN MORRIS' OEUVRE, THE DESIGN CAN BE CONSIDERED ONE OF HIS MORE TRADITIONAL. NEVERTHELESS ITS HISTORICIST ASPECT, A REFLECTION OF MORRIS' GREAT KNOWLEDGE OF EARLY CARPETS, WAS APPRECIATED BY HIS CONTEMPORARIES -- 'ROBUST GENEROUS CURVES BLOSSOMING INTO FLOWER-LIKE PATTERNS, AND WITH A SENSE OF SPACE UNLIKE THE "TIGHT" EFFECT OF MOST MODERN CARPETS' (THE STUDIO, 1898, P. 107).
WITHIN LESS THAN A DECADE OF THE CREATION OF THE INTERIOR BY PHILIP WEBB AND WILLIAM MORRIS, IT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OF ITS ERA AND SUMMARISED BY LEWIS DAY AS 'A REALLY BEAUTIFUL HOUSE, FULL OF BEAUTIFUL THINGS, AN IDEAL INTERIOR IN ITS WAY' (ART JOURNAL, 1893, P. 144). THE CARPET WAS PLACED IN THE SECOND DRAWING ROOM (SEE CONTEMPORARY ILLUSTRATION) WHICH WAS 'HUNG WITH A SOBER TEXTILE MATERIAL, IN WHICH THE PATTERN MERGES ITSELF INTO A GENERAL TINT OF GREENISH OR GREYISH BLUE, ACCORDING TO THE ANGLE AT WHICH THE LIGHT HAPPENS TO FALL UPON IT; THE WINDOW CURTAINS ARE OF THE SAME, AND THE WOODWORK IS PAINTED A QUIET GREEN, WHICH IS REALLY A LOWER TONE OF THE PREVAILING TINT. THE BRIGHTER COLORING RECURS IN THE CEILING, WHICH IS PAINTED WITH FLORAL ORNAMENTS, IN FLORAL COLOURS, ON A WHITE GROUND; IN THE CARPET WITH ITS BLUE GROUND;' (ART JOURNAL, 1893, P. 141).
AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE THE CARPET COST £113 (CF. THE MORRIS & CO. ESTIMATE AND BILL FOR THE DECORATION AND FURNISHING OF 1 HOLLAND PARK, 2 MAY 1883, VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM, NAL MS. L. 885-1954. THE PATTERN PROVED TO BE A POPULAR ONE. WHEN SEEN WITHIN MORRIS' OEUVRE, THE DESIGN CAN BE CONSIDERED ONE OF HIS MORE TRADITIONAL. NEVERTHELESS ITS HISTORICIST ASPECT, A REFLECTION OF MORRIS' GREAT KNOWLEDGE OF EARLY CARPETS, WAS APPRECIATED BY HIS CONTEMPORARIES -- 'ROBUST GENEROUS CURVES BLOSSOMING INTO FLOWER-LIKE PATTERNS, AND WITH A SENSE OF SPACE UNLIKE THE "TIGHT" EFFECT OF MOST MODERN CARPETS' (THE STUDIO, 1898, P. 107).