Camellias

Watercolour on paper of Camellias by an unknown Chinese artist. One of a total of 755 botanical illustrations sent to the RHS by John Reeves (1774-1856) in the 1820's. Reeves worked as a tea inspector in Canton and Macau for the East India Company. He commissioned and supervised the production of this collection for the RHS as well as sending back plant specimens from China.