V&A Bookmark - Steiner Poppies

Stylised poppies with flattened, sinuous leaves, in the bold, almost exotic colouring that marks out the best Art Nouveau textiles. The design comes from a roller-printed cotton furnishing fabric made by F. Steiner & Co. in 1903, held today in the V&A collection.

Steiner's is a good story. Frederick Steiner was a chemist who came to Britain in the early nineteenth century and set up a high-quality printing works in Lancashire. When most Lancashire firms merged into the Calico Printers' Association in 1899, Steiner stayed independent — and kept buying designs from the best freelance designers in Britain, France and Belgium, where the appetite for Art Nouveau ran stronger than it did at home. The result is a pattern that feels far more continental than its Lancashire origins suggest.

With a ribbon marker, it lies flat in any book. A handsome small gift for anyone who loves Art Nouveau, textile design, or a really good poppy.

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

Key features

• Art Nouveau poppy design from the V&A collection
• Taken from a roller-printed cotton furnishing fabric by F. Steiner & Co., Lancashire, 1903
• Ribbon marker
  
• Flat enough to post inside a greetings card
• Perfect for Art Nouveau and textile design fans, gardeners and book club gifts
  

FAQ

• Who were Steiner & Co.? A Lancashire textile printing firm founded by Frederick Steiner, a chemist who came to Britain in the early nineteenth century. The firm was known for high-quality printing and for buying designs from leading British and continental designers.
• When is the design from? The original furnishing fabric dates from 1903 and is held in the V&A collection.
• What is Art Nouveau? A decorative style of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, known for flowing lines, stylised natural forms and bold colour.
• Is it suitable as a gift? Yes — a lovely small gift on its own, and light enough to post inside a card.