William Morris Lion and the Forest Wall Hanging

William Morris’s early tapestries, featuring birds and animals, anticipate the motifs he later developed in his carpet designs. This particular home décor piece—one of his most accomplished—displays a richly layered pattern of trailing acanthus leaves, echoing his first tapestry Acanthus and Vine. Interwoven within this dense foliage are five animal and bird studies by Philip Webb. While Henry Dearle may have contributed some of the foreground floral elements, these details closely resemble Webb’s original preparatory sketches. The accompanying verse for the wall hanging was later published as The Lion in Morris’s Poems By the Way. The work is characteristic of the British Arts and Crafts Movement.

Constructed from woven tapestry fabric.

Approx. 139 x 87cm.

Weight: 1.03 kg.

Fabric: 100% Cotton.

Easy Care: Clean it with a damp cloth. Do not soak in water.

Hanging rod not included.