As the foremost textile and decorative arts designer of the late 19th century and the father of the Arts and Crafts movement in England, William Morris was an advocate for social and aesthetic reform. In his carpets, as in his tapestries, embroideries, printed and woven textiles, Morris sought to raise standards by reviving hand production and reinstituting the use of vegetable rather than synthetic dyes. In 1877, Morris began making carpets at Kelmscott House, his home overlooking the Thames near the town of Hammersmith. There and later at his factories at Merton Abbey, carpets such as this one were knotted by hand following Morris's designs. The two-dimensional graphic quality, interlacing ogee grid, multiple borders, Western floral motifs, and soft vegetable dye coloring favored by Morris are apparent in this example. More unusual, is the rug's single orientation, indicating that it may have been intended to hang on the wall. Morris was known to display oriental carpets on the wall in his own home in appreciation of their artistry.