The traditional costume of Marken is splendid on so many levels. The combination of vivid colors, bold patterns--including florals and stripes--and elaborate embroidery resulted in a happy, invigorating daily wardrobe. Even dishtowels and pillowcases were elaborately embroidered with initials and symbolic motifs and then were displayed on a bed built into the wall known as the pronkbed. In this way, each woman was a curator of a personal exhibit which was visited by neighbors. The story of Marken is a fascinating tale of women whose passion for meaningful beauty ultimately enriched their lives and unified the entire community. What's fascinating is that in spite of the constant threat of flood and invadsion, and with husbands at sea, their embroidery and other embellishment was a calming, sustaining and rewarding daily task.

General Marken Information
Marken Museum Information

William Morris was a true Renaissance man and is known as painter, writer, furniture maker, designer of textiles and wallpaper, and stained glass maker.  Father of the Arts and Crafts movement and member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, he was married to Jane Burden, the famous model Rossetti loved to paint. He designed the pattern in the Lovebird Marken Blouse and called it "Strawberry Thief" after watching birds eat his strawberries one morning. We call it lovebirds because we love William Morris and his philosophy: Have about you only things which you know to be useful and believe to be beautiful.  At his death, it was written that, "In all England there lives no braver, kinder, honester, cleverer, heartier man than William Morris. He is dead, and we cannot help feeling for a while that nothing else matters."

William Morris Biography
William Morris Art