William Morris first experimented with carpet-knotting in 1879 in the coach house and stable of Kelmscott House, overlooking the Thames at Hammersmith, hence the name ‘Hammersmith’ carpets. Much larger carpet looms were installed by Morris when he moved the firm to the Merton Abbey workshop in 1881. It was from these looms that Morris & Co. created the carpets, whose length exceeded six metres, as requested by the Barr Smiths and other very wealthy clients for their grand formal rooms in the 1880s. As hand-knotting was extremely labour-intensive, it meant that the carpets were exorbitantly expensive. Due to this tremendous investment in design and finish, Morris considered all his Hammersmith carpets to be true works of art.

The structure of this carpet was inspired by oriental carpets and Morris enjoyed developing designs that had internally repeating patterns with complex multiple surrounding borders. The centre or field of the carpet demonstrates Morris’s ability to create a rich and full effect by the superimposition of flat complex patterns and structures. A small floral pattern forms the ground and is contained by the principal ogee (curved diamond) pattern with large flowers giving weight and structure. Morris’s main border design consists of large vine leaves and tendrils in warm colours, a marked contrast to the cooler blue field colour. The striking pinks, greens and blues of the carpet harmonised in colour, pattern damask silk St Jamess curtains and the majestic — predominantly blue — floral St James wallpaper selected by Morris for the large drawing room.

The carpet was purchased through the Ellen Christensen Bequest Fund with generous assistance from Hamish Gosse and can be seen in gallery 18 as part of a Morris & Co. tableau.