V&A Bookmark - Pheasant

A pheasant, which is exactly the bird a designer would choose. That long sweeping tail, the barred and speckled plumage, the copper and bronze of the body — it's a creature that arrives already patterned, and decorative artists have been making the most of it for centuries.

Pheasants turn up throughout the history of design: in Japanese prints and screens, in Arts and Crafts wallpapers and embroidery, in country-house textiles. The design here comes from the V&A's collection, which holds some three million designs for textiles, wallpapers, prints and decoration — the archive that everyone from William Morris to Alexander McQueen has gone digging through for ideas.

A handsome small gift for a birdwatcher, someone who walks the fields in autumn, a lover of pattern and print, or anyone with a country-house streak.

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

Key features

• Pheasant design from the V&A collection
• Drawn from the museum's holdings of historic textile and decorative design
• Officially licensed V&A product
• Perfect for birdwatchers, countryside and nature lovers, and as a book club or stocking-filler gift
  

FAQ

• Where does the design come from? The V&A's collection of historic textile, wallpaper and decorative design.
• What does it show? A pheasant, a bird long favoured by decorative artists for its striking plumage and long tail.
• Is it an official V&A product? Yes, produced under licence from the Victoria and Albert Museum.
• Is it suitable as a gift? Yes — a lovely small gift on its own, and light enough to post inside a card.