Celosia Cristata (Cockscomb)
This is a Chinese export watercolour depicting cockscomb (Celosia cristata). The illustration features a single plant with the characteristic crested flower head displaying the distinctive brain coral-like or rooster's comb appearance in deep red-pink coloration. The flower head shows the typical convoluted, ruffled form with numerous small individual flowers densely packed together. The plant displays opposite leaves arranged along the sturdy green stem. The leaves are oval-shaped with pointed tips and prominent venation, rendered in various shades of green with reddish-brown edges and tips, showing the natural coloration variation typical of cockscomb foliage. The painting demonstrates the fine brushwork characteristic of Chinese export art from the late 18th or early 19th century, combining traditional Chinese flower-and-bird painting style and Western botanical illustration.
Height: 319 mm
Width: 400 mm
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1973) by Fairhaven, Henry Rogers Broughton
Chinese
Chinese export art
Chinese export watercolour
Support composed of paper
Watercolour : Watercolour heightened with white on thin paper, backed with second sheet, and both tipped in on the album sheet
Accession number: PD.133-1973.2
Primary reference Number: 32411
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Paintings, Drawings and Prints
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Celosia Cristata (Cockscomb)" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/32411 Accessed: 2025-12-07 20:29:25
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/32411
|title=Celosia Cristata (Cockscomb)
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-07 20:29:25|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-32411
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