The Enthroned King and His Guard at Persepolis, Antique Print, 1780

This is an original antique copper engraving, published in 1780, from the second volume of Carsten Niebuhr's travels. The plate carries no title or caption; it shows a tall carved relief copied in five levels.

At the top a bearded figure in a tall crown sits on a high backed chair with turned legs, his feet on a footstool, holding a long staff in one hand and a flower in the other. Behind him an attendant raises a fly whisk and carries a cloth. Further back stand a figure holding a short rod raised to his face beside a tall standard, and a guard with a spear. In front of the throne stand two tall stands, a man bending forward with his hand raised to his mouth, and a second attendant carrying a vessel.

Above the scene runs a canopy hung with a fringe of tassels, crowned by two bands of small walking animals with a winged disc at the center of each. Below, four registers of standing men divided by rosette bands line up with spears; at the right of the first register three of them carry large oval shields, and in the lower registers many carry bows, quivers and short swords. No title, caption or signature is engraved on this sheet. The plate number Tab: XXIX. 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. The account was first published in German at Copenhagen; this is the French translation printed in Amsterdam and Utrecht.

The sheet is cut away along the lower right edge and cut close at the bottom, outside the printed area. Light uneven toning, browner toward the edges. Handling soiling along the bottom edge. A few small foxing spots in the margin.

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