Part of a collection of sixteen fragments of various sizes, originally from an upholstered Morris & Co. armchair. As the production process used three separate printing dyes; indigo, red (alizarin) & yellow (weld), it took a number of days to produce ‘Strawberry Thief’ and was consequently one of the firms most expensive cottons. However, it remained to be one of Morris’ most popular designs.
A set of printing blocks for Strawberry Thief, cut by the Firm of Barretts of Bethnal Green Road, London, are now in the V&A Museum.