William Morris based the design on two Italian seventeenth-century lacis-work panels acquired by the South Kensington Museum in 1875. The paper is watermarked 1876. Lacis is a handmade net onto which a design is darned. An example worked up by May as an embroidery is in the William Morris Gallery’s collection (F154). Another version of the Flowerpot design is in the William Morris Society (watercolour and pencil on paper).
‘Flowerpot’ was available to buy in kit form from Morris & Co.; as a tracing pattern to be embroidered at home, partly started, or as finished version worked by the Firm’s embroidery department. According to the Firm’s ‘Embroidery Day Book 1894-1896’ (V&A), a tracing of ‘Flowerpot’ cost 5 shillings, whilst a started version on cotton or linen cost 14 shillings. The square shape meant it was adapted into cushions and mounted into firescreens. Other worked examples are in collections of V&A, National Museums Liverpool, Birmingham Museum and the Embroiderers’ Guild.
