May Tee (1889) (Ivory)

While others celebrated New Year’s Eve, Walter Crane (1845–1915) mourned December’s passing. Created sometime around 1889 with his daughter Beatrice (1873–1935), The Procession of the Months synthesizes Walter’s two earlier treatments of the calendrical theme, reflecting age across the gutter between text and image. Walter illustrated the verse that Beatrice wrote. In the case of The Procession of the Months, it seems the images came later, for the preface notes the poem’s creation when she was “quite a child”, demonstrating how “each Season, with its ever-changing beauties, was fully realized by the child’s quick, artistic imagination.” 

Now merry May is here, with all her flowly train, like April, clad in green, Earth's love she means to gain. Her laughing eyes are blue, pale yellow gold her hair, which floats about her free, wreathed round with blossoms fair. Over the soft green turf, she comes with footsteps light, and at a touch, the trees become a lovely sight. For all the buds burst forth disclosing to the view a mass of pink and white, which soon the wind will strew. But now, alas, 'tis time to stop her merry play, she leaves her wreaths and garlands but knows she must not stay.