A set of properties for border images was initially proposed by fantasai. The current simplification (one image cut into nine parts) is due to Ian Hickson. (Though the original idea seems to originate with some anonymous Microsoft engineers.)

Way back in August 2004, fantasai suggested using multiple backgrounds too, in order to get the draft done quicker:

The trouble with fancy borders is the difficulty of specifying them right and of implementing them. But most of what page authors are doing is using background images to achieve the effect, inserting extra elements to have the necessary frames to attach them to.

So here’s an alternate proposal:

- Leave image borders for a later draft.

- Publish backgrounds and borders without image borders but *with a way of specifying multiple backgrounds on a single element*.

It should be relatively easy to specify and to implement, and we’ll get the
CSS3 backgrounds and borders properties out sooner, which is needed.

And here we are, seven years on.

This allows a repeated background all around the border.

-webkit-border-image: url(images/border-3.png) 200 / 20px repeat;

This allows a repeated background at the corners and bars at the top and bottom.

-webkit-border-image: url(images/border-3.png) 200 / 20px;

And this is done with a crude background which has had the center made transparent by my paint app rubber.