Elephanta Cave Sculptures at Stations 6 and 12, Antique Print, 1780

This is an original antique copper engraving from 1780, two carved relief panels from the cave temple on Elephanta, one above the other. The caption reads Afbeelding der Figuuren bij 6 en 12. op den Platten Grond Pl. III. in Dutch and Réprésentation des figures prés de 6 & 12. Sur le plan Pl. III. in French, meaning "Representation of the figures at 6 and 12 on the ground plan, plate III".

The upper panel, lettered B, shows a single figure seated cross legged on a curved base edged with petals and rosettes. It wears a tall headdress and a necklace and raises one hand, while two smaller kneeling figures flank it, the one at the left with its head broken away. The lower panel, lettered A, is a crowded group. A large seated figure in a tall headdress sits at the left of center, with a standing figure in a tall headdress behind it at the far left and a small seated figure at its knee. To the right are a figure holding a child, a female bust and further standing figures, one at the far right in a tall headdress. Two carved heads rise from the broken rock at the bottom center. 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 fc" below the lower left corner of the border, and lettered "Tab. VIII." at the upper right.

The plate comes from the second volume of Carsten Niebuhr's Voyage en Arabie & en d'autres Pays circonvoisins, the French translation printed for S. J. Baalde at Amsterdam and Barthelemy Wild at Utrecht; the title page of the volume reads TOME SECOND and is dated MDCCLXXX. The account was first published in German at Copenhagen, and this is the French translation printed in Amsterdam and Utrecht. 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.

Light uneven toning, browner toward the edges. Marked handling soiling along the bottom, left and right edges. Scattered light foxing in the margin. A brown stain at the lower right corner. Slight wear at the top right corner.

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