Egyptian Water Raising Machines on the Nile, Antique Print, 1776

This is an original antique copper engraving from 1776, a plate of water raising machines. The caption reads in Dutch Verscheidene Water-werktuigen in Egipte. and in French Diverses Machines Hydrauliques en Egypte., meaning various water machines in Egypt.

The machines are numbered I to V. Machine I fills the left half in elevation and plan: a toothed wheel, lettered C, turned by a beam on an upright shaft, drives a horizontal axle and a vertical wheel, lettered A, that carries a chain of pots down into a shaft cut in the ground. A separate drawing of wheel A shows the pots hanging on their ropes, and a toothed wheel B is drawn on its own below. At the upper right, II shows two views of a wheel over a pit, one with a figure at work. Below it, III is a wheel lettered D with a lever and a raised beam above it, drawn again on its own with its ring of paddles. At the lower right, IV is a pole on a frame with a round weight at one end and a bucket hanging below, and V is a length of rope with a bag. A scale lettered Voet. runs from 1 to 12.

The credit C. J. de Huyser, direx. is lettered under the lower left corner, and the plate number Tab: XV. is engraved at the upper right.

The plate comes from the first volume of Voyage en Arabie & en d'autres Pays circonvoisins, the French translation of Carsten Niebuhr's account, its title page reading TOME PREMIER. Traduit de l'Allemand. A AMSTERDAM, chez S. J. BAALDE. A UTRECHT, chez J. VAN SCHOONHOVEN & COMP. MDCCLXXVI. 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 right edge. Scattered light foxing in the margin. Folding plate, original folds as issued. Slight wear at the bottom right corner.

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