Snakeshead Pattern (by William Morris) Cushion

This design is based on a pattern created by British designer William Morris (1834–1896), who was also a writer, retailer and political activist associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement. This snakeshead pattern was heavily influenced by contemporary cottons imported from India, especially in the use of strongly contrasting reds and blues, as well as the way that the 3D forms of leaves and flowers have been transformed and represented as elegant flat illustrations. Indeed, William Morris greatly admired the fact that Indian cottons were generally hand-printed with natural, as opposed to than chemical, dyes, and he sought to use natural colours in his own fabrics. The original pattern was first designed by William Morris in 1876.