Games and Pastimes of the East, Antique Niebuhr Engraving, 1776

This is an original antique copper engraving from 1776, plate XXV of volume 1 of Carsten Niebuhr's Voyage en Arabie. The caption reads, in Dutch at the left and in French at the right, Verscheidene Spellen der Oosterlingen. and Divers Jeux des Orienteux., meaning "Various Games of the Orientals".

The upper panel is a landscape with a tall palm and small palms on the horizon. At the left stands a man in a turban and long coat, lettered A. In the middle a man in a broad cap swings a long stick, and to the right two pairs of men play at sticks: the pair lettered C face each other with short sticks, and the pair lettered B cross long poles. The lower panel sets out apparatus and boards, each keyed by letter. D is a tall frame hung with ropes; E a swing frame with a single seat hung on two ropes; F a frame carrying a pivoting cross of bars with a seat at each of its four ends; and G an upright X shaped wheel with small seats at its corners. H is a pair of long boards joined by two hinges, each with a row of six round hollows. O, P and Q are three small objects, each with a plume at the top, O with parts lettered a, b and c. Along the bottom, K, L and M are square boards ruled in three different patterns, and N is a long board ruled in four rows of squares, with a dot in each square of the top and bottom rows.

Under the lower left corner of the image is lettered "C. J. de Huyser, direx." The plate number Tab: XXV. is engraved at the upper right.

The sheet comes from the first volume of Carsten Niebuhr's Voyage en Arabie & en d'autres Pays circonvoisins, the Tome Premier, translated from the German and issued at Amsterdam by S. J. Baalde and at Utrecht by J. van Schoonhoven and Comp., with the date MDCCLXXVI 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.

Light uneven toning, browner toward the edges. Handling soiling along the right and top edges. Scattered light foxing in the margin. Folding plate, original center fold as issued. All four corners are present.

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