Snapdragon with feathers

Material used: Sculpting clay, metal and wood.

“I like to see,” said she,
“The snap-dragon put out his tongue at me.”
(DH Lawrence, Snap-Dragon).


Antirrhinum majus has been reclassified by taxonomists from Scrophulariacea to the family Plantaginaceae following genetic studies. Scrophulariacea was the favorite plant-family name of my late mother, who used to say its Latin name with abundant relish, and would not have approved of the reclassification. The intricate structure of this flower is designed for the bumblebee pollinators who can open and enter male flowers and exit without difficulty. They grow wild in profusion in the stunning Costa Brava of Spain, and have been the joy of my regular cliff walks.