The Egyptian Egg Hatching Oven, Antique Niebuhr Engraving, 1776

This is an original antique copper engraving from 1776, the plans and sections of an oven for hatching eggs. The caption reads in Dutch Afbeelding van een' Oven, waar in Eyeren Uitgebroeid worden. and in French Figure d'un Four, où l'on fait éclorre des Oeufs., meaning picture of an oven in which eggs are hatched.

At the top, a section lettered G and H cuts through two vaulted chambers, with openings lettered i and h in the roof. Below it, a long elevation lettered E and F shows a row of chambers with small doors and roof openings marked h, the parts lettered d, e, f and g. The two large plans below show the building from above. The upper plan, lettered C and D, has twelve chambers marked f, six on each side of a central passage lettered d. The lower plan, lettered A and B, has twelve chambers marked e in two rows on either side of a passage, and at its lower left a curving corridor leads to two small rooms lettered b and c and a round chamber lettered a. The letters I, K and L mark the levels between the drawings, and a scale lettered Voet. runs from 2 to 30.

No artist's or engraver's credit is lettered on this sheet. The plate number Tab: XVIII. is engraved at the upper right.

The plate comes from the first volume of Voyage en Arabie & en d'autres Pays circonvoisins, the French translation of Carsten Niebuhr's account, its title page reading TOME PREMIER. Traduit de l'Allemand. A AMSTERDAM, chez S. J. BAALDE. A UTRECHT, chez J. VAN SCHOONHOVEN & COMP. MDCCLXXVI. 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. 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. Marked handling soiling along the bottom, left and top edges. Scattered light foxing in the margin. Slight wear at the bottom left corner.

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