A beautiful and decorative collection of nine early 20th century Italian herbiers framed in a large painted white nine-pane window frame. Each catalogued by hand with the Latin or botanical name of the plant, the date, catalog number, and "Firenze" (Florence, Italy). The dates are between 1903 and 1907.

The oldest traditions of making herbarium collections (dried flowers, herbs, leaves, grasses, and other plants mounted on paper) have been traced to Italy, with the oldest herbarium still in existence being that of Gherardo Cibo from around 1532. French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656-1708) is credited with first applying the term herbarium to a collection of dried, pressed plants. The Italian botanist and physician, Luca Ghini (1490–1556) reintroduced the study of actual plants as opposed to relying on classical texts, which lacked sufficient accuracy for identification. In the late 19th century and into the early 20th, collecting herbier specimens was a popular pastime for affluent Europeans. These collectors would spend a great deal of time drying, pressing, mounting and labeling the plants they found on their travels around the world.

Dimensions:

h - 43.5"

w - 32.25"

d - 2"