Tulips from Amsterdam .. and some Tulip stamps from everywhere but Amsterdam

Tulips are some of my favourite Spring flowers so I was thrilled to find a Tulip Museum on a recent trip to Amsterdam!  We were there in September but it was nice to see a variety of tulips in bloom at the entrance and several displays inside in the amazing tulip vases which set them off so well.
The Museum, located on Prinsengracht is open daily from 10 - 6 pm but it's probably best to check their website amsterdamtulipmuseum.com for up to date details if you intend to visit!
The history of the tulip, told via displays and a short film, is a surprising one. They first grew in the wild in the Himalayas, and in Turkey they were prized by the Sultans in Istanbul, who cultivated them for vast displays, and many are  depicted on Iznik tiles and ceramics.. Imported into Holland by wealthy merchants in the 17th century they became a status symbol and 1637 saw the height of Tulipomania when the price of a single bulb could be more than the price of a house! All fascinating to discover and there are of course many books and novels based on this, including The Black Tulip by Alexander Dumas. I've used the tulip as a subject for some of my simpler stamp collages! Others can be seen on the Flowers page of my website www.rachelmarkwick.co.uk

Of course, the Tulip Museum has a shop where you can buy very reasonably priced bulbs in the greatest number of varieties  I have ever come across!!  I couldn't leave empty handed and purchased a few bags including Rem's favourite - a variety reminiscent of those that were so popular at the time of Tulipmania and is "a look-alike of the so-called Rembrandt or broken tulip" " a work of art"!
Going Baroque is described as "soft pink and vivid white supported by blue-lavender", a double tulip.  And in late Spring I can look forward to seeing Estella Rijnveld in all her glory - heavily fringed and feathered red and creamy-yellow flowers with subtle touches of green, as favoured by the old Dutch flower painters, such as  Rachel(Ruysch!  What I also liked so much about this Museum/Shop is that the staff were very knowledgeable and asked exactly where the purchasers lived and then marked the bags with the exact recommended planting time - so hopefully success is guaranteed!

In a recently received parcel of stamps I found several tulip stamps to add to my little collection - interesting none of them were issued in The Netherlands!