Opium Poppy Seed Pod, a Natural Vessel

Put very simply a pod is a seed vessel. At a  time in the life cycle of certain plants the seed pod will burst open and the seeds will be expelled to sprout forth the next generation. Legumes or beans are the most well known to humans as many of these have edible pods. But well known to artists due to their interesting and graphic shape are Opium Poppy seed pods. Of course it doesn't hurt that poppies also have beautiful flowers.

The milky latex sap of opium poppies contain isoquinoline alkaloids.These alkaloids are classified as a narcotic and can be turned into what is known as heroin or opium. These potent alkaloids are obtained from the mature seed pod of the opium poppy plant. The addictive and harmful affects of opium have been known for a long time. However, for many centuries opium was not considered harmful  and was in fact revered as something from the gods.

In ancient art the poppy was the mythological symbol of sleep( Wake up, Dorothy!) Poppies were often a personification of the Greek Hypnos the 'god of sleep" portrayed by a bearded man leaning over the sleeper and pouring poppy juice into his eyes. Representations of poppies were engraved on Roman coins and also on bronze coins of the Maccabees (135-106BC). Toward the end of the Bronze age vases were used to carry pharmaceutical preparations made from poppies. Cyprian vases found in Egypt were shaped like a poppy pod. Many ancient cultures made jewelry with representations of poppy pods. Some scholars think it was drugs like opium and halucigenetic mushrooms which led to the evolutionary human capability for symbolism which in turn led to religion and art.

Of course some of the most beautiful poppy art was made by the French Impressionists. A quick Google check will show tens of thousands of artists still using the image of poppies and poppy pods.

--Lynn Conaway