If you are amazed by the exquisite bronzes unearthed in Sanxingdui recently, then you can deeply appreciate the heart-pounding feeling of the British people seeing the winged passionflower for the first time more than 200 years ago.
In the inconvenient 18th century, it was not easy for Europeans to see exotic plants, and at that time people were somewhat more obsessed with exotic plants than they are today, even if it was an ordinary-looking plant, it would also attract great attention, because it was the real first sight.
What's more, among the plants that European adventurers brought back from all over the world, the winged passionflower is indeed a very outstanding one, with large flowers and unique shapes.
Thus, Mr. Curtis passionately dedicated his words of praise to this plant of American origin, "it is so graceful and magnificent when it blooms, bright in color, fragrant and with extraordinary beauty", "it is the richest combination of leaves and flowers we have ever seen." ”
Mr Curtis also documents the cause of this first sight, when a gentleman from Hertfordshire (in the east of England) first brought this beautiful plant to England.
Mr. Curtis is a botanist, but there is a poet's passion between the lines, and I can feel the touch in his heart. This first sight is the refraction of the brilliance of human nature, people love beautiful things, for their joy, for their sorrow, willing to pursue it unremittingly, inadvertently, the philosophy of the unity of heaven and man has no questions about The East and the West.