WILLIAM MORRIS
	(1834 - 1896) . "Have Nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." . . William Morris was one of the most influential Victorian figures in the artistic, literary and political world.  His creative output included designs for wallpaper, ceramic tiles, stained glass, tapestries, embroideries, carpets, furniture and calligraphy.  .
	Influenced by his knowledge of medieval art and his observation of natural forms, Morris' flora and fauna themes are easily recognizable even by those who are unfamiliar with his art. He loved the middle ages, describing it as a period of chivalry, saintliness and courtly love, as well as a time when respected craftsmen made beautiful and useful goods.  . Born in 1834 into prosperity and brought up in a large country mansion North of London, his privileged upbringing engendered immense guilt which led him to attack social disparity, that is, the contrasting standards of the rich and the poor.  He believed that art should be classless and that it should be a joy to the maker as well as the user.  In contrast to Victorian complexity and luxury, he set out to recover 'art for the people', the art that was rooted in functionality and simplicity.  . He was not nostalgic, his sense of history was creative and dynamic. He took 'looking back' as a means of looking forward, rediscovering the practical uses of the past and adapting it to the present.
	In 1890, Morris founded a printing firm, Kelmscott Press, which published a great many literary works, the most magnificent and highly prized being the edition of Chaucer in 1896.  . The Kelmscott Chaucer showcased Morris' title-page and the scores of decorated initials and lettering that he drew.  He also provided the splendid borders and frames for the illustrations in that edition contributed by renowned painter, Sir Edward Burne-Jones.  Burne-Jones described his friend's work as "the most harmonious decoration possible" and Morris as 'the greatest master of ornament in the world'.  . .
	'The History of Godefrey of Boloyne (1893)' was  one of William Caxton's most important works. Morris regarded this edition not as a romance but a serious piece of history. He described the Caxton text and style as 'vigorous and agreeable', which inspired him to design a profusion of ornamental borders.  One of the motifs used here has become the inspiration for our design of the wine funnel.
	Two of Morris' greatest strengths were in the composition of his drawings and in his handling of initials against intricate backgrounds.  The borders that embellish the inner pages are from the border designs of 'The History of Godefrey of Boloyne' and 'The History of Reynard Foxe, 1893'.   . Morris would make the slightest of indications of the main stems of the patterns he had in mind with pencil and then, with a brush, stroke the forms into place 'the sensation', as it were, like that of a cat being smoothed.  It was to express this sensuous pleasure that he used to say that 'all good designing was felt in the stomach'.
	From its inception, the Victoria & Albert Museum has had a profound influence over designers and manufacturers.  William Morris happily claimed that he used the Museum 'more than any man living'.  With more than five million works of art and design from all ages, cultures and  continents, a collection that is still growing, the V&A continues its mission of 'Inspiring Design'.  .
	Royal Selangor, maker of the world's finest pewter since 1885 in a joint effort with the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, recently introduced a collection of wine accessories with William Morris designs interpreted in pewter.  The Royal  Selangor William Morris Wine Accessories range has been awarded Gift of the Year 1997 by the Giftware Association and the Trade Promotion Services of the United Kingdom.