Bokmakierie's Tail

By Pierre-Joseph Redouté

Reveal the botanical rarity of the century. Even though Pierre-Joseph Redouté is renowned around the world as the “Raphael of Flowers” with his famous roses and lilies, this unique piece of art portrays one of the rarest and untamable plants by this artist called Witsenia Maura, known as the Bokmakierie’s Tail in its native South Africa.

This rare print was originally designed by Redouté in his famous collection, Les Liliacées, in 1805. The illustration features an extremely rare occurrence of nature—the shrubby wood iris, which can be found solely in the swampland wild Fynbos of the Western Cape area. The artist has skillfully portrayed the plant’s tough, fan-shaped leaves and unique, velvet-petaled tubular flowers with utmost accuracy and beauty. The flowers undergo a dramatic transformation—from midnight black to the sun-yellow crown, resembling the tail feathers of the native shrike.