Scholar's Garden Bowl

The New York Botanical Garden in association with Barreveld International, a leader in distinctive designs for the home, has developed a superb collection of ceramic vases, cachepots, and decorative accessories inspired by some of the finest examples of botanical art in the Rare Book Collections of the Mertz Library here at the Garden. Combining historical botanical imagery with a contemporary approach to design, these exciting pieces were created with today’s gardener and plant enthusiast in mind.

The image of lilies blooming near a Chinese scholar’s rock on this ceramic bowl is from Collection Precieuse et Enluminée des Fleurs, a most unusual work of botanical art published in Paris in 1776 by the prolific naturalist and world traveler Pierre-Joseph Buc’hoz. He commissioned native Chinese artists to create the original illustrations of Chinese flowers, which were then engraved and hand-colored in Paris. The result is a collection of images with a unique and utterly charming flavor—a distinct mix of East and West.

The bowl measures 2½” H x 6¾” in diameter.