Border for a Table Cover or Valance c. 1890s

May Morris designed this border for a table cover or valance with watercolor and graphite. The design features alternating pink and yellow stylized flowers against a muted green backdrop, framed by a black line, which evokes a rhythmic, repeating pattern. This composition plays with ideas of formalism and function. Morris employs a semiotic system where the flowers—traditionally symbols of beauty and nature—are abstracted. The color scheme, with its soft pinks and yellows, creates a sense of harmony and balance, reflecting the Arts and Crafts movement's emphasis on aesthetic unity. The repetition challenges fixed meanings of decorative art, engaging with new ways of thinking about design as both functional and beautiful. The formal quality of the repeating floral pattern and the muted color palette demonstrates an interest in the underlying structures of design. This piece exemplifies how art can communicate ideas about beauty, nature, and the role of ornamentation in everyday life. The design invites ongoing interpretation of art's function within culture.