‘Willow’ was designed by William Morris in 1874. The pattern is simple stylised representation of willow branches on a plain background. In 1887, Morris adpated the design to create ‘Willow Bough’ wallpaper, a more naturalistic version of this earlier pattern. ‘Willow’ was produced in a number of colourways, firstly using tonal shades on coloured backgrounds and later introducing colours on a white background. This version on a metallic background was introduced by Morris & Co. in the twentieth century, c.1910. This example was printed by Arthur Sanderson & Sons who acquired the designs and wallpaper printing blocks from Morris & Co. when they closed in 1940.
