Antique View of Taiz from the North, Niebuhr Copper Engraving, 1776

This is an original antique copper engraving from 1776, plate LXVII of the first volume of Carsten Niebuhr's account of his travels in Arabia, a folding plate. The caption reads Gezigt der Stad Tàâs, vande N. Zyde. in Dutch and Vue de la Ville de Táâs du Côté du N. in French, meaning "View of the town of Taas from the north", the city now called Taiz.

The walled town spreads across the middle of the sheet in a dense mass of tall flat roofed houses with several minarets among them. Its long wall, with towers at intervals, runs along the foot of the town and climbs the hill behind to a fortified summit lettered Kähhre, reached by a winding path. Beyond rise rows of mountains dotted with trees. On a hilltop at the left stands a cluster of buildings lettered Pagus Judæorum, and below it a group of houses lettered Afdal. Öddene ruin: is marked on a slope to the right of the summit. Outside the wall at the right stand domed buildings and an enclosure lettered Msalle, and small numbers placed through the view serve as references.

The lower margin is lettered Niebuhr, del. at the left and C. J. de Huyser, Fecit. at the right, so the drawing is Niebuhr's own. The plate number Tab. LXVII. is engraved at the upper right.

The plate comes from the first volume of Carsten Niebuhr's Voyage en Arabie & en d'autres Pays circonvoisins, Traduit de l'Allemand (translated from the German), published A Amsterdam, chez S. J. Baalde and A Utrecht, chez J. van Schoonhoven & Comp., with the date MDCCLXXVI (1776) on the title page. Carsten 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. Marked handling soiling along the bottom and left edges. Foxing over much of the margin. Folding plate, original center fold as issued. Slight wear at the bottom right corner.

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