Primula sinensis by Redouté, brooch

Primula sinensis (or Primula praenitens) by Pierre-Joseph Redouté, from ‘Choix des plus belles fleurs’, a book of copperplate reproductions of his watercolours, published in 1827, Paris. According to Redouté’s book, this flower arrived from China in 1820 and became common in the greenhouses of Europe. Because of the variability of colour (which made it so popular) and its availability, it was the subject of an early study on genetics. R.P.Gregory, following the principles of Gregor Mendel (whose work had come to light in 1900) studied its heritable traits for 15 years at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, before losing his life in the First World War. 

The bronze-tone brooch is made from nickel-free alloy, and the glass cabochon is 25mm across. Each brooch comes in a sturdy black card gift box.