Cornflower — Antique Botanical Print

The Story in the Margin

The cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) is an old companion of agriculture, an annual that has grown wild among cereal crops since the Stone Age and was so treasured in antiquity that dried cornflowers, still faintly blue, were found among the funerary garlands in Tutankhamun's tomb. Its genus name recalls the centaur Chiron, said in Greek myth to have used the flower to treat wounds, while its common name "bachelor's button" comes from its resemblance to the fabric buttons on 16th-century men's clothing. In 19th-century Germany the cornflower became a cherished national emblem after Queen Louise of Prussia reportedly hid her children in a cornflower field while fleeing Napoleon's army.

Materials & origin

• Material: 200 gsm gallery-grade, acid-free fine-art paper (FSC-certified).
• Print: Archival giclée, 12-colour printing, smooth matte finish for glare-free display.
• Artwork: Restored from a public-domain original; colour and detail digitally cleaned for large-format print.
• Origin: Made on demand and shipped from the print hub nearest you, cutting transit and waste.
• Framing: Sold unframed; ships rolled in a protective tube.