Design for Floor Covering

This geometric floor pattern from Cooper Union Art School demonstrates late nineteenth-century approaches to decorative design. The composition features a grid of star-burst motifs rendered in blue against a cream ground, framed by ornamental borders employing scrollwork and palmette elements. The repeat pattern and formal symmetry reflect principles taught at Cooper Union, where design instruction integrated historical ornamentation with industrial production methods. Such studies prepared students for careers in textile, wallpaper, and architectural decoration during an era when ornamental design remained central to arts education and commercial manufacture.