The “Scipio Augustus”, a stately tulip with purple-red stripes, enjoyed great popularity during the Tulipmania.
It is believed that this tulip was named after the famous Roman general and statesman, Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus.
This Roman general was known as one of the key figures in Rome’s victory over Carthage during the Second Punic War.
This naming is a testament to the admiration that 17th-century Dutch people had for classical antiquity. The “Scipio Augustus” tulip was fully part of the speculative tulip trade during the Tulipmania. The tulip, like the historical figure it is named after, symbolizes ambition, courage, and the unpredictability of economic prosperity.
Although the “Scipio Augustus” tulip no longer exists today, the name lives on as a reminder of this fascinating period in Dutch history.
The theme of the 99 “Scipio Augustus” NFT tulips in various art styles is themed around ‘Carthage’, The portrait of the “Scipio Augustus” from the ‘Ninetynine Tulips’ collection, serves as inspiration for the tulip NFTs.
Ninetynine Tulips 