Remaining Figures of Wall D with Lion and Bull, Persepolis, 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 van de overige Beelden aan den Wand d. Tab: XVIII. and in French Représentation des autres Figures de la Muraille d. Tab: XVIII., meaning "The remaining figures on the wall d" of plate XVIII.

The upper half carries two registers of the procession, divided by a band of rosettes and broken by cypress trees. In the first a man leads a bull, a figure carries a large round shield, others hold spears, and a group carries folded cloths, with a horse at the right. In the second register a man leads a two humped camel, one figure carries a pole across his shoulders with a pan hanging from each end, and a man leads a donkey.

The lower half shows, at the center, a lion springing onto the back of a rearing horned bull. To the right a triangular field holds rows of cuneiform signs separated by dots, under the heading Verscheiden letters van het aaloud Persisch schrift. and Caracters de l'ancienne écriture Persique., "various letters of the ancient Persian script." The panel at the left is lettered Opschrift and Inscription, with a brace and A. Tab. XXIV, pointing to the inscription A on plate XXIV. No artist or engraver signature is engraved on this sheet. The plate number Tab: XXIII. 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.

Light uneven toning, browner toward the edges. Handling soiling along the bottom, left and right edges. Scattered light foxing in the margin. Folding plate, original center fold as issued.

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