Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 11.1
Floral arrangements of flowers and foliage depicted in ancient Egyptian art. This paint-
ing shows the children (
right
) of King Ipuy and his wife (
left
) bringing lotus bouquets to them.
(Source: Egyptian Expedition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1930 (30.4.114),
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
Gardens of ancient Egypt were, at first, designed for growing edible vegetables
and fruit but later evolved into ornamental pleasure gardens with the inclusion of
flowers and ornamental trees (Baridon
2000
). These could be found in private resi-
dences, temples and palaces; funeral gardens were also common. Models of these
gardens were also inscribed in tombs for enjoyment in the afterlife (Baridon
2000
).
Cut flowers and foliage arranged in floral designs were commonly depicted in an-
cient Egyptian wall paintings (Fig.
11.1
). The classic Egyptian floral design period
was from 2800 to 28 bc with flowers being used on banquet tables, in temples, self
adornment (as wreaths, chaplets, garlands, flower collars), in religious or royal pro-
cessions or given in honour of someone held in high regard (Hunter
2000
). Egyptian
floral designs commonly used flowers or fruit in orderly rows. Bowls of arranged
lotus flowers, the flower of Goddess Isis, were placed on banquet tables. Other
commonly used cut flowers (lily, rose, gladiolus, straw flowers) and foliage (ivy,
myrtle, olive, palm, papyrus) are still widely used today across the globe (Hunter
2000
). Wearing flowers in wreaths or chaplets rose to a higher level and usage in
the ancient Greek floral period (600-46 bc). Professional wreath and garland mak-
ers were employed in the art since wreaths were widely used in Greek culture, and
awarded to heroes of the arts, sciences, and athletics (Hunter
2000
). Flower colour
was less important to the Greeks, but they sought to incorporate herbs along with
flowers for added fragrance. Commonly used flowers by the Greeks included lily,
rose, honeysuckle, larkspur, hyacinth, violet, and tulip (Coats
1970
). The Cornuco-
pia or horn of plenty (Fig.
11.2
) was one of the common mechanisms used to strew
