Antique Plan of the Elephanta Cave Temple near Bombay, 1780

This is an original antique copper engraving from 1780, a ground plan of the rock cut temple on the island of Elephanta. The caption reads Grondtekening der Pagode op het Eiland Elephanta. in Dutch and Plan de la Pagode de l'Isle d'Elephanta. in French, both meaning "Ground plan of the pagoda on the island of Elephanta".

The plan shows a large hall laid out on a grid of square pillars, some drawn solid and some in outline, with the surrounding rock shown in close diagonal hatching. A square shrine lettered A stands within the hall, with an opening on each side; a second enclosed shrine lettered B lies in a side court at the lower left, and a small chamber lettered C stands at the top. Two recesses at the left are lettered D and a rounded court at the upper left is lettered E. Around the walls the numbers 1 to 18 are set as keys. A bar scale at the lower right runs from 10 to 80 and is lettered Voet. and Pied. (feet).

The sheet is signed "C. H. K. f." below the lower left corner of the border, and lettered "Tab. III." at the upper right.

This sheet belongs to the second volume of Carsten Niebuhr's Voyage en Arabie & en d'autres Pays circonvoisins, issued at Amsterdam by S. J. Baalde and at Utrecht by Barthelemy Wild, with MDCCLXXX on its title page. Niebuhr (1733 to 1815) was a German born surveyor in Danish service and the only member of the Danish expedition to Arabia (1761 to 1767), sent by King Frederick V of Denmark, to return alive. The account was first published in German at Copenhagen; this is the French translation printed in Amsterdam and Utrecht.

Light uneven toning, browner toward the edges. Handling soiling along all four edges. Scattered light foxing in the margin. All four corners are present. One larger brown mark.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.