Roman Military Standards, Eagle and War Horns, Montfaucon Engraving, 1722

This is an original antique copper engraving, uncolored, a single page plate from the fourth volume of Montfaucon's Antiquity Explained, printed in London by J. Tonson and J. Watts in 1722. Two horsemen in cloaks ride at upper left, and beside them a relief shows a nude figure falling from a rearing horse, seized by a helmeted warrior with a shield. A four pointed caltrop, two round discs on mounts, an eagle with spread wings on the head of a standard and a tall T shaped standard with serpent headed ends follow. A gem shows an armored soldier with spear and shield beside a statue on a column. Along the foot runs a row of standards hung with discs, wreaths, portrait medallions, an open hand and a cloth banner, and beside them a bearded standard bearer with an animal skin over his head, a shield, and a standard topped by a bird. At right are two coins, a curved horn and a straight trumpet.

The captions read "Trajans Pillar" under the first horseman and under the row of standards, an abbreviated Antonines Pillar under the second horseman, "Maffei", "Ste Genevieve", "La Chausse", "Beger" and "Fabretti". Trajans Pillar is Trajan's Column in Rome. One coin is lettered R POT COS II with PANNONIA and S C; the other reads GLORIA EXERCITVS with ESIS below two soldiers flanking a standard. The figure numbers run from 1 to 20. The corners read "Page 55" at top right, "Vol. IV." at foot left and "Plate 12" at foot right. No engraver's signature appears.

Bernard de Montfaucon (1655 to 1741), a French Benedictine monk and scholar, published L'Antiquité expliquée et représentée en figures in Paris in 1719; David Humphreys translated it into English. The fourth volume treats war, the arms and dress of soldiers among its first subjects. Montfaucon gathered figures from monuments, coins, gems and earlier antiquaries and engraved each source's name beside its figure.

The upright row of standards gives the sheet a strong vertical rhythm for framing.

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