Carved Animals on the Walls of Persepolis, Antique Print, 1780

This is an original antique copper engraving, published in 1780, from the second volume of Carsten Niebuhr's travels. The caption reads in Dutch Afbeelding der Dieren aan de Wanden A. en Æ. Pl. XVIII. and in French Figures des Animaux sur les murs A. & Æ. Pl. XVIII., meaning "Figures of the animals on the walls A and Æ" of the plan on plate XVIII.

The sheet is divided into two panels. In the upper panel, lettered A, a large animal with a tufted tail stands in profile facing the viewer's left; its head is broken away at the neck, which carries a collar of rosettes, and rows of carved ornament run over the body. In the lower panel, lettered B, a winged animal with a bearded human head faces right; the head wears a tall cylindrical crown, the beard and hair are drawn in tight curls, and the great wing sweeps up over the back.

Beside each animal a bell shaped object is drawn separately at the left, the lower one lettered a. Three small round medallions are set in the background: two at the upper right, the lower of them lettered d, each show a walking animal ringed with lettering, and the one in the lower panel, lettered b, shows a walking winged animal with a head in a tall cap, a star and a crescent. The ground of both panels is engraved with a close wavy texture. The lower right margin is signed Tringham Sc., and the plate number Tab. XX. is engraved at the upper right.

The plate comes from the second volume, Tome Second, of Carsten Niebuhr's Voyage en Arabie & en d'autres Pays circonvoisins, Traduit de l'Allemand, published by S. J. Baalde at Amsterdam and Barthelemy Wild at Utrecht, with the date MDCCLXXX, 1780, on its 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. Handling soiling along the bottom, left and right edges. Scattered light foxing in the margin. Slight wear at the bottom left corner. Minor edge wear, shallow nicks along the bottom.

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