Inscribed: Drawn by Edward Burne-Jones and given to me in a cleaning out of the studio between the years 1873-6, perhaps for some decoration at Castle Howard, it was done at the time of the work there. T. M. Rooke. March 1899
Rooke's suggestion that this may be an idea for a work at Castle Howard (1874) is stylistically likely. Alternatively, the design connects with a series of decorated letters Burne-Jones produced for a project for a projected edition of Virgil's "Aeneas" which Morris was working on in 1874, but which finally came to nothing.