William Morris and Art from the Islamic World

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 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.

Featuring over 60 works, the exhibition will demonstrate how some of Morris’s best-known designs 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.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a new publication, Tulips and Peacocks: William Morris and Art from the Islamic World (Yale University Press).

William Morris and 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.