Dearle Daffodil Vintage Floral Pattern Favour Box

This cheerful floral repeating pattern was designed by John Henry Dearle and block printed onto cotton by Morris & Company in about 1891. Dearle had worked for Morris & Co. since 1878, rising from shop assistant to designer after Morris trained him as a tapestry weaver. Dearle produced his first tapestry design in 1887 and by 1890 was the firm's chief designer. His early textiles were closely based on Morris's style, but his mature work, influenced by Near Eastern patterns, shows greater originality. He designed tapestries, carpets, embroideries and woven and printed fabrics and supervised most textile production up to and after Morris's death in 1896, and later became Art Director. Because of Morris's fame, Dearle's contribution was much neglected and his work often attributed to Morris.