Barbarian Warriors of the Antonine Column, Helmets and Gems, 1722

This is an original antique copper engraving, uncolored, a single page plate from the fourth volume of Montfaucon's Antiquity Explained, printed in London by J. Tonson and J. Watts in 1722. Five bearded warriors stand along the top: an archer in a cap drawing his bow, two men in cloaks holding slings, one with a decorated oval shield, and one with a sword raised over a round shield. Below are a man in cloak and trousers, two figures in short tunics, and three relief fragments with small figures. The middle of the sheet holds an arched stele with a bearded man in tunic between lines of Greek lettering, coins and gems with helmeted and laureate heads and a horseman, and a large gem with two heads in helmets. At right is a headless armored torso, its cuirass carrying a mask and a relief of figures, with lappets below. At the foot are a half draped bearded man, two crested helmets and a soldier pointing.

The captions read "Antonines Pillar" under each of the five top figures, "Theodosian's Pillar", "Spon" (four times), "In N Dame at Paris", "Mr Charlet" (twice), "M Fontenu" (twice), "Baudelot", "Beger", "La Chausse", "Fontanini" and "Constantin's Arch". Antonines Pillar is the column of Marcus Aurelius in Rome, the Theodosian Pillar the column of Theodosius in Constantinople, and Constantin's Arch the Arch of Constantine in Rome. The fragments are lettered "EVRISES" and "SENANI V EILO", and a coin "BOYKE". Numbers run from 1 to 18. The corners read "Page 23", "Vol. IV." and "Plate 7".

Bernard de Montfaucon (1655 to 1741) was a French Benedictine monk and scholar whose L'Antiquité expliquée et représentée en figures appeared in Paris in 1719. This English translation by David Humphreys was printed in London by J. Tonson and J. Watts. Volume four deals with war, and Montfaucon set figures copied from monuments, coins, gems and earlier antiquaries side by side, naming each source.

The varied mix of figures, coins and armor gives the sheet a lively pattern on a wall.

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