The sacred lotus has held cultural and religious meaning across Asia for centuries, growing in the still freshwater ponds and wetlands of the Philippines, where its flowers, seeds, and rhizomes have long been valued.
This plate of Nelumbo nucifera belongs to Flora de Filipinas, the first comprehensive study of Philippine plants, compiled by the Augustinian botanist Manuel Blanco and first published in 1837. The illustrated edition produced in Manila between 1877 and 1883 rendered each plant as a colored lithograph by Filipino and Spanish artists. This plate records the plant's broad leaves, flower, and distinctive seed pod with the scientific precision that defined the work. Original folios can be viewed at the San Agustin Museum in Intramuros.
This print preserves a botanical plate from one of the most important illustrated works in Philippine history.
Available as a fine art print
