William Morris was an outstanding character of many talents, being an architect, writer, social campaigner, artist and, with his Kelmscott Press, an important figure of the Arts and Crafts movement. Many of us probably know him best, however, from his superb furnishings and textile designs, intricately weaving together natural motifs in a highly stylized two-dimensional fashion influenced by medieval conventions. In 1878, Morris & Co. took on a young assistant called John Henry Dearle (1860-1932). Dearle was to become an indispensable part of the company's production lines after the death of Morris in 1896, creating paper and fabric designs of his own. This wallpaper's intricate design, which features entwined lily stems with various wildflowers, is one of many that encapsulate Dearle's own distinctive style with the Morris & Co. aesthetic.