H O R T I

INDICI MALABARICI

An elaborate allegorical engraving serves as the frontispiece for the "Hortus Malabaricus." The scene is framed by a grand stone archway overgrown with grapevines. In the center, a seated woman representing an allegory of Botany or Horticulture holds a garden rake. She is surrounded by several indigenous Malabari figures who are tending to and presenting various tropical plants in large, ornate ceramic pots. To the sides, caryatids support the structure while balancing baskets of produce on their heads. The background features classical garden architecture interspersed with palm trees. In the bottom right foreground, a coconut lies on the ground. The main title is inscribed on a large stone tablet above the central figure.