Leicester Wallpaper Bookmark

Scrolling acanthus leaves in soft green, threaded with carnations and yellow daisies against a deep inky ground. This is Leicester, designed by John Henry Dearle for Morris & Co. in around 1911–12, and it carries all the romance of the medieval tapestries and illuminated manuscripts that so captivated William Morris.

Dearle's story is a good one. He joined Morris & Co. as a teenage shop assistant, was trained personally by Morris, and after Morris's death in 1896 became the firm's art director — designing many of the later wallpapers and textiles that people still assume are Morris's own. Leicester is one of his, and it holds its own in any company. The V&A holds examples of the original wallpaper in its collection.

At 48 × 162mm with a yellow ribbon marker picking out the daisies, it lies flat in any book. A handsome small gift for anyone who loves Morris & Co., Arts and Crafts design, or a properly good pattern.

Come and see the full Museums & Galleries range in the shop — there's always more on the shelves than we can fit online.

Key features

• Leicester wallpaper design by John Henry Dearle (1859–1932) for Morris & Co., c.1911–12
• Scrolling acanthus leaves with carnations and daisies on a dark ground
• Yellow ribbon marker
• 48mm × 162mm
• Museums & Galleries, the British art-stationery publisher behind the V&A, Tate, Natural History Museum and British Museum ranges
• Flat enough to post inside a greetings card
• Perfect for William Morris and Arts and Crafts fans, and for book club and stocking-filler gifts

FAQ

• Who was J.H. Dearle? John Henry Dearle (1859–1932), a British designer who joined Morris & Co. as a young man, was trained by William Morris himself, and became the firm's art director after Morris's death in 1896.
• Is this a William Morris design? It's a Morris & Co. design, created by Dearle rather than by Morris personally — very much in the Morris tradition, and often sold under the Morris & Co. name today.
• What is Leicester? A wallpaper design of around 1911–12, inspired by the medieval decoration Morris loved. The V&A holds examples of the original.
• What colour is the ribbon? Yellow.
• What size is the bookmark? 48mm wide by 162mm tall.