Sheet from a Tulip Book, Jacob Marrel, c. 1640
parchment (animal material), h 340mm × w 449mm More details
Flowers were costly, and tulips the costliest of all. Tulip bulbs were avidly collected in the 17th century and large sums changed hands for unusual specimens. The tulip book’s exact function is not known. It could have been a catalogue from which an interested buyer made his selection, or a drawn inventory of a collection of tulips.
