This is a fairly large image and that makes it so much more versatile. It’s from a book about decorative design. The design shown here is of a repeating lotus pattern. The Egyptian lotus, or blue water-lily is often characterized by rigid lines. It was often the priests who dictated the form and the severity of character was often meant to exemplify the dignity of the priesthood.
Lucky for us we don’t have to worry about that and simply enjoy their art for the beauty of it. This repeating lotus pattern is actually quite plain. But, the simple lines and large size of this pattern seem to make it a great candidate to colorize and make truly your own. The original drawing featured the repeating lotus pattern with shaded lines and geometric shapes completing the overall pattern. The image is a little crooked but that can be easily fixed when you add your own color or design elements.
Principles of Decorative Design was published in 1870 and included this border image along with a number of other great vintage images that can be found here on Reusable Art.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
