Modern Heritage

Modern Heritage brings together three enduring traditions of decorative art: the intricate botanical patterns of William Morris, the bold geometry and glamour of Art Deco and vintage poster design, and the refined atmosphere of Japanese woodblock printing. Though created across different cultures and eras, these works share a distinctive balance of craftsmanship, visual clarity, and lasting appeal.

The collection moves easily between lush ornament, graphic modernism, cinematic nostalgia, and quiet landscapes. Each print has been selected for its ability to feel historically grounded while remaining striking in a contemporary interior. Ideal for eclectic, modern, mid-century, and traditional spaces, Modern Heritage offers art with character, provenance, and a sense of permanence.

A globe-artichoke plant rises through the centre of a mirrored design, its spiky grey-green leaves curling outward. Four artichoke heads sit in pairs, the upper two with pale scaled bracts around russet cores and the lower two in russet and brown. Long-tailed golden birds perch beside the upper heads and red squirrels sit among the leaves to either side, all on an ochre ground scattered with small red flowers.

The original: Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo's design for an Artichoke, Birds and Squirrels textile, in bodycolour on paper, early 1880s. It was intended as a large-scale textile but never put into production, so the painted design is the only form the pattern took. It is in the William Morris Gallery, London, which received it in Mackmurdo's bequest of 1942.

Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo (1851–1942) was an English designer who founded the Century Guild in 1882 with Herbert Horne, working closely with Selwyn Image. The Guild's flowing, plant-based designs are often seen as forerunners of Art Nouveau, and the William Morris Gallery holds the largest collection of its work. Squirrels were a favourite motif of his, appearing again in his printed textile Bramble and Squirrel.

Each print is a giclée, printed to order. Unframed prints are made on Hahnemühle German Etching, a 310gsm matte fine-art paper. Framed prints are printed on 200gsm matte fine-art paper and arrive in a handmade solid-wood frame with low-reflection glazing, ready to hang. Ships worldwide with free delivery to 30+ countries.