Strawberry Thief (by William Morris) Tile

This design is based on a pattern created by British designer William Morris (1834–1896), who is especially well known and regarded for his association with the Arts and Crafts Movement. Strawberry Thief is one of William Morris' most popular repeating designs for textiles. The pattern takes as its subject the thrush birds that Morris found stealing fruit in the kitchen garden of his countryside home, Kelmscott Manor, in Oxfordshire. The pattern was originally printed using the indigo discharge method, an ancient technique that had been used for many centuries mostly in the East. Morris admired the depth of colour and crisp detail that it produced. William Morris first attempted to print by this method in 1875 but it was not until 1881, when he moved into his factory at Merton Abbey, near Wimbledon, that he finally succeeded. The entire process would have taken days to complete and it was for this reason that it was one of Morris & Co.'s most expensive cottons. Nonetheless, customers were not put off by the expensive cost, and Strawberry Thief proved to be one of Morris' most commercially successful patterns. The pattern's beauty and elegance is still greatly appreciated today.