Owl Panel

The Owl Panel. designed in the late 19th century by John Henry Dearle. The Owl Panel. designed in the late 19th century by John Henry Dearle. Copyright Victoria and Albert Museum, London, acc. no. T.369-1982.

The Owl Panel, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, is an embroidered wall hanging worked in silk on a green silk damask ground material, with a cotton lining. The panel dates to the late nineteenth century. The design, officially called 'The Owl', was created by John Henry Dearle (1860-1932) around 1895. The design was sold in the form of a kit by Morris & Co. This particular example was stitched by Mrs. Battye c. 1900.

The design consists of a central motif of meandering acanthus leaves and exotic flowers worked in shades of various colours, including blue, brown, ivory, peach, yellow and white. There is an owl perched on one of the exotic flowers. A partridge peeps out from behind an acanthus leave (lower right-hand corner).

The embroidery is worked in a darning stitch, while stem stitch is used for the outlines.

See also the TRC Needles entry on a Pigeon wall hanging.

Source: PARRY, Linda (ed., 1996). William Morris, London: Philip Wilson Publishers Limited.

V&A online catalogue (retrieved 28th March 2016).

GVE

Last modified on Sunday, 21 May 2017 15:36