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Woodblock for Pink and Rose Wallpaper

Maker (British, 1861 - 1940)
ClassificationsTOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
Dateca. 1890
Mediumpearwood with brass pins
Dimensions21 1/4 x 22 3/8 x 2 in. (54 x 56.8 x 5 cm.)
Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
Label TextThis woodblock was one of several used to print the Pink and Rose pattern (object no. 2000.5.120). Although the manufacture of wallpaper was one of the few parts of the firm's business that was contracted out to another company, Morris insisted on overseeing much of the process. He was even known to throw out sets of woodblocks when he thought them insufficiently capable of rendering one of his designs. In this case, extra care would have been required of the block-cutter in order to display in relief the intricate veining of flowers and leaves. While not unusual at this time to use woodblocks for printing wallpaper by hand, by 1850 the rapid machine-printing process already dominated wallpaper manufacture. In the more time-consuming and meticulous hand woodblock-printing process, each color required a separate woodblock and had to dry before the next could be applied.
Status
Not on view
Object number2000.5.1874
Exhibitions
Woodblock for "Woman Washing" and "Men Carrying Coal"
Mabel A. Hewit
ca. 1934
Object number: 2011.9.3
Woodblock for an Untitled Print
Elizabeth Norton
ca. 1926
Object number: 2010.5.20verso
Woodblock for "Little Gray Cat"
Elizabeth Norton
1926
Object number: 2010.5.20
Woodblock for "Little Gray Cat"
Elizabeth Norton
1926
Object number: 2010.5.18
Woodblock for "Little Gray Cat"
Elizabeth Norton
1926
Object number: 2010.5.19
Woodblock for "Little Gray Cat"
Elizabeth Norton
1926
Object number: 2010.5.17
Pink and Rose Wallpaper
Unknown, British
n.d.
Object number: 2000.5.121
Whalebone Clothespins
Unknown, American
ca. 1825
Object number: 2016.25.146
Pair of Fire Buckets
Unknown, American
ca. 1839
Object number: L2015.41.189
Broiler
Unknown, American
n.d.
Object number: 2016.25.124
Fry Pan with Long Handle
Unknown, American
18th century
Object number: 2016.25.125
Skimmer
Unknown, American
ca. 1770
Object number: 2016.25.126