Elephanta Cave Sculpture at Station 5, Antique Niebuhr Print, 1780

This is an original antique copper engraving from 1780, a carved relief panel from the cave temple on Elephanta. The caption reads Afbeelding der Figuuren by 5 op den Platten Grond Pl. III. in Dutch and Réprésentation des Figures prés de 5 Sur le plan Pl. III. in French, meaning "Representation of the figures at 5 on the ground plan, plate III".

Two large standing figures fill the lower part of the panel. On the left a male figure in a tall, domed headdress, with a cord across his chest and several arms, rests one hand on the head of a small curly haired attendant who carries a fly whisk. On the right stands a female figure in a pointed headdress, one hand resting on a small figure at her side. Above them two groups of flying figures flank a scalloped arch, with a bird carved at the top of the arch. At the upper left a figure with three faces sits on a base, and the left and right edges of the panel are lined with smaller seated, kneeling and standing figures, among them a figure riding on another's shoulders at the right. The numbers in the caption refer to the numbered positions on the ground plan of the cave temple at Elephanta, engraved as plate III (Tab. III) of the same volume.

The plate is signed "C. Philips f" below the lower left corner of the border, and lettered "Tab: VII." 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. Slight wear at the top left corner. Minor edge wear, shallow nicks along the bottom. Several larger brown marks.

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