William Morris (1834-1896) was the leading figure of the Arts and Crafts movement in the second half of the nineteenth century. Inspired by John Ruskin's social criticism and writings on medieval art, Morris and his fellow artists disavowed the low-quality goods produced by the factories of the Industrial Revolution and the production methods that alienated workers from the creative process. They instead set out to return to the traditional methods of craftsmanship in which the designer was the craftsman.
The design of 'Bird' in 1878 coincided with Morris's study of birds for a series of designs featuring the winged creatures. While not the most complex of the series, the charming design was created by Morris for the drawing room in his own home, Kelmscott House. 'Bird' proved to be a popular and enduring design and examples can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (accession no. 23.163.15), the Minneapolis Institute of Art (accession no. 84.66) and the Art Institute of Chicago (ref. no. 1985.64) among others. For pictures of the original hangings in Morris' drawing room, see E. Wilhide, William Morris Decor and Design, New York, 1991, p. 50. For further information see L. Parry, William Morris Textiles, New York, 1994, p. 152, pl. 29.