William Morris Cray Pattern Silk Scarf
Pickup currently unavailable at Morgan Library & Museum
A medium sized floral silk habotai scarf featuring a pattern after the original textile design for home furnishings entitled Cray, by William Morris (1834-96), one of several designs named after rivers. The River Cray is the prime river of outer, south-east Greater London, rising in Orpington. This scarf is made with habotai silk, which is not as sheer as chiffon silk, and makes a lovely addition to any wardrobe.
Originally designed in 1884 at Merton Abbey, the design features a variety of flora depicted in shades of pink including chrysanthemums, thistles, and oak leaves, with other green leaves and stems, over a dark blue ground overlaid with smaller flower heads and buds.
Merton Abbey Mills is now a museum on the site of the former textile factory in the parish of Merton in London.