Little Chintz

Little Chintz shows Morris using motifs similar to those in the Snakeshead fabric (on display in the entrance) with the patterns arranged in parallel rows. Morris, however, has introduced variety by making the pattern more symmetrical here than in earlier designs. Although Morris was never completely happy with the colors supplied to him by Wardle, the printworks in Staffordshire printed many Morris & Co. fabrics from 1875 to 1909. By 1878, Wardle was producing fourteen designs for Morris & Co., including Iris, Snakeshead, and Little Chintz. All three of these designs were inspired by contemporary imported Indian fabrics, which were readily available in many fashionable London shops.