The strong, elegant Arts and Crafts design style is
well-known for an emphasis on motifs. In design, a motif is a single element,
often an image or item, which may be repeated throughout a design to create
emphasis and hint at a deeper symbolic meaning. These motifs add cohesion and
clarity to an interior design, and can help join separate elements through
shared imagery.

Arts and Crafts motifs tend to come from the natural world,
and can be incorporated in dozens of ways throughout the entire design of a
home or garden space. In this article, we’ll take a look at one of the most
popular Arts and Crafts motifs used in both the initial design period and in
its revivals: the noble and wild thistle.

What is a Thistle?
A thistle is a subspecies of daisy, but don’t think it’s
dainty at all. Its most defining characteristic is distinctly sharp prickles
that occur both on the leaves and stem of the plant. Most thistles, like the
milk thistle and the star thistle, also feature a cup-like flower, but the
clear statement of the flower is less about its pretty petals and more about
its thorny bite.

Why is it Used in Arts and Crafts Design?
The thistle has been one of the most popular motifs in Arts
and Crafts design since the style’s inception. Its popularity is sometimes
attributed to William Morris, a British textile designer who is considered by
many to be the father of the Arts and Crafts movement. In several of his original designs, the
thistle is prominently used as a major motif.

Since William Morris was an incredible influence on all
iterations of the Arts and Crafts style, his use of the thistle was soon picked
up by other designers seeking to make an impression on the style. Its symbolic
underpinnings make it a particularly beloved motif in British or Scottish Arts
and Crafts design, where the plant has a long, storied history.

What Does the Thistle Mean?
Symbolically, the thistle stands for a type of wild beauty
and hardiness much admired by Arts and Crafts adherence. The plant is
notoriously prickly and stubborn, and thus can survive adverse conditions and
attempts to uproot it with gusto.

More significantly, the thistle has roots in Celtic legend,
and is a particular symbol of Scotland. According to legend, Scotland was once
saved when an invading Norse Army gave away their position after yelping in
pain from stepping on thistles. The plant became an official symbol of Scotland
in the mid-13^th century and has remained
crucial to Scottish heraldry and imagery ever since.