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Nile, and was used by the Egyptians, together with the papyrus 
and palm, in all forms of decorative art. It is now considered 
the origin of the well-known ‘palmette,’ or ‘honeysuckle,’ 
design. In the statue of Iny and Rennut, upstairs, you will 
remember that Rennut’s long curled wig is bound about her 
forehead with a band of lotus flowers. There were two species 
of ‘lotus’ known to the Egyptians, one with white or pinkish 
flowers ( Nelumbo) and the other with blue flowers. The latter, 
Castalia coerulea, is shown near the center of the famous stela of 
: Menthu-weser in one of the Egyptian rooms. 
“The true lotus must not be confused with the plant referred 
to in Tennyson’s poem about the ‘mild-eyed lotus-eaters.’ 
That was the jujube, a prickly shrub bearing fruits resembling a 
plum or date and much used as a dessert. The United States 
Department of Agriculture has recently introduced it from the 
Orient into many southern parts of this country. Homer de- 
scribes Ulysses as arriving at the coast of Libya, where many of 
his sailors ate the jujube fruits and lost their desire to return to 
home and friends. 
“Passing by this Chinese textile, in which the poet’s narcissus 
is too naturalistically treated, and the old Persian hanging beauti- 
fully decorated with pomegranate flowers, we come to Case 3, 
showing the use of the grape as a motive.” 
THE GRAPE EXHIBIT 
PLANTS: Herbarium specimens of grape foliage and a bunch of grapes 
ART Opjects: Wood-carvings, textiles, ivory, metal, tile, pottery, and plaster, 
showing the grape used as a motive. 
“Just as the lotus was a sacred plant in the Orient, the emblem 
of the Buddhist religion; so the grape, when freed from its con- 
nection with Bacchus and his pagan rites, became the emblem of 
the Christian religion. Christ said, ‘I am the vine; ye are the 
branches.’ Notice the rhythm and the artistic arrangement of 
this Coptic textile, and in this wood-carving, where the heads of 
. Wheat and the clusters of ripe grapes signify the bread and wine 
of the communion service. 
“In Persian legendary lore the cypress tree was emblematic of 
