The “Switser” tulip, like the ‘Jan Symonsz’ and the ‘Admirael de France’, stands out in the ‘Ninetynine Tulips’ collection for depicting only the flower.
This tulip, although not considered the most beautiful of the varieties at the time, has an interesting trading history.
The tulip bulbs were frequently traded during the Tulipmania, not per bulb but per pound, suggesting that the exclusivity of the tulip gradually decreased. Nevertheless, the price of “The Switser” tulips reached a significant peak during the height of the tulip bulb prices in 1636/1637. On February 6, 1637, a pound of ‘Switser’ was sold for as much as fl.1,100 guilders in Amsterdam (around €14,000).
However, this peak was short-lived, as the tulip bulb trade quickly collapsed after the bursting of the tulip bulb bubble.
The name “The Switser” seems to be inspired by the uniform of the Swiss Guard, the personal bodyguard of the pope, which was red and yellow at that time.
The portrait of the “Switser”, from the physical ‘Ninetynine tulips’ collection, serves as the inspiration for the corresponding 99 ‘Switser’ NFTs. The Switser NFT tulips are themed ‘Switserland’.
Ninetynine Tulips 