This fragment of ‘Borage’, designed by William Morris, was one of a number of examples given to the Whitworth Gallery, Manchester by the firm Wardle and Co. and later transferred to the William Morris Gallery in 1969. Thomas Wardle was a master dyer who worked with Morris to perfect the dyes used for his textiles, his firm also manufactured Morris & Co. textiles before Morris moved his production in-house to Merton Abbey in 1881. This pattern was designed in 1883 and thefore post-dates Wardle & Co’s period of production for Morris & Co.
