Celosia argentea var. cristata (cockscomb)
Draughtsman: Canton workshop
This is a botanical illustration depicting Celosia argentea var. cristata, known as cockscomb. The plant has a tall green stem with several broad, pointed leaves arranged along its length. At the top of the stem is a cluster of pink flowers forming a rounded head. The plant originated from India and was used for medicine in China. The illustration demonstrates careful attention to botanical detail, showing the natural curve of the stem and the precise arrangement of the leaves, with delicate gradations in the green of the foliage and subtle pink tones in the flower head. RHS collection has a similar illustration (A/PJI/35). The late 18th century saw the rise of natural history painting and patronage in China and the East Indies. When Europeans arrived in Canton and Macao, they were keen to collect exotic specimens and wanted to commission drawings to send back home. This enthusiasm for natural history came from both professional and amateur botanists, many of whom were employees of the East India Company, who proved to be avid collectors. Stock sets of pictures were soon produced for the European market depicting fruit, flowers, birds and insects. Cockscomb depicted in this illustration is a typical selection.
Previously described as "botanical study".
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1973) by Fairhaven, Henry Rogers Broughton
19th Century
Production date:
circa
AD 1800
Support
composed of
paper
Paper
Height 400 mm
Width 282 mm
Watercolour : Watercolour on paper
Accession number: PD.257-1973
Primary reference Number: 23099
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Paintings, Drawings and Prints
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Celosia argentea var. cristata (cockscomb)" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/23099 Accessed: 2025-04-20 05:45:32
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/23099
|title=Celosia argentea var. cristata (cockscomb)
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-04-20 05:45:32|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-23099
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