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Cotton Tree Flowers

ca. 1800–1805
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 464
This vividly colored drawing, made in Calcutta by an Indian artist, belonged to Edward Smith Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby (1772–1851). It was part of a collection of horticultural books, prints, and drawings kept at Knowsley Hall, his family's estate in Merseyside. The English inscription on the lower left indicates the full name of the plant according to the Linnaean system (Monadelphia Polyandra Bombax ceiba) as well as its common name in India, Seemal (spelled "Seemul"). In northern India, the Seemal tree blooms with bright orange flowers from February to April. When its fruits split open, silky fronds of cotton waft down to the ground, a common sight in the countryside.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Cotton Tree Flowers
  • Date: ca. 1800–1805
  • Geography: Made in India, Calcutta
  • Medium: Ink and watercolor on paper
  • Dimensions: H. 20 3/8 in. (51.8 cm)
    W. 14 3/8 in. (36.6 cm)
  • Classification: Codices
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of Islamic Art Gifts, 2016
  • Object Number: 2016.489
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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