This manuscript contains The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám in the translation by Edward Fitzgerald, first published in 1859, handwritten and decorated by William Morris (b. 1834, d. 1896) in 1872. The figures depicted in the decorated borders were designed by William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones (b. 1833, d. 1898), and painted by Charles Fairfax Murray (b. 1849, d. 1919). Contents: ff. 1r-12r: The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám f. 12v: Colophon Decoration: 5 full borders with bar frames around the text block and dense illusionistic foliage in the margins, inhabited with small figures of women often playing musical instruments, in gold and watercolours (ff. 1r, 9v, 10r, 11v, 12r). 18 partial borders to the right of the text block and extending into the interlinear space, composed of illusionistic foliage, flowers and fruit, in watercolours (ff. 1v-9r, 10v, 11r). 2 full-length figures of women holding a banner inscribed 'TAMAM SHUD', surrounded by sprays of foliage and flowers, beneath the final line of the poem, in watercolours (f. 12r). Heading ‘Omar Khayyám' written in gold in the upper margins (ff. 1v-9r, 10v, 11r). The initial letter of each line and the numeration of pages and stanzas is written in gold throughout. A note on ff. 13-14 of the manuscript, written by Georgiana Burne-Jones (b. 1840, d. 1920), explains that William Morris was responsible for the all the ornament, while the figures were painted by Charles Fairfax Murray from designs by Morris and Edward Burne-Jones. She further reports that Murray attributed the design of the figures to: f. 1r, left border from top: EBJ, EBJ, ?EBJ; right border from top: WM, ?EBJ, WM; lower border: WM. f. 9v, left border: WM, WM, WM; lower border: EBJ. f. 10r, right border: ?WM, WM, WM; lower border: EBJ. f. 11v, left and right borders: all EBJ; lower border: WM. f. 12r, left and right borders: all EBJ; lower border WM, central figure WM Physical characteristics: Materials: Parchment Dimensions: 150 x 115 mm (written area: 100 x 70 mm) Foliation: ff. 14 (ff. 13-14 are paper inserts, plus three unfoliated flyleaves at the beginning and at the end) Script: Modern, written by William Morris. Binding: Post-1600. Red leather covers, gold-tooled in a pattern of flowers and foliage. Spine inscribed in gold: ‘Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám’, with each word divided by a leaf design.