911/​232

Carsten Niebuhr (b. Lüdingworth 1733, d. Holsten 1815)

Beschreibung von Arabien. Aus eigenen Beobachtungen [...]. Cph. 1772. 1st ed. 4to. Complete with engraved title vignette, map hand-coloured in outline (Terræ Yemen). Size of map: 40×59 cm. + 24 engraved plates incl. 2 hand-coloured, many folded. Previous owner's name on flyleaf. Bound in cont. full calf with gilt spine and red edges.

Niebuhr's first book, “Beschreibung von Arabien”, was published in Copenhagen in 1772, the Danish government providing subsidies for the engraving and printing of its numerous illustrations. Niebuhr was the sole survivor of a party of five specialists dispatched by King Frederick V of Denmark on this scientific expedition. They visited Sinai, then moved south to Mokha, and by ship to Bombay from where Niebuhr travelled alone to Muscat, Shiraz, Persepolis and Bagdad. The work contains illustrations of battle scenes and monuments and much more.

Provenance: Valdemar's Castle, Tåsinge.

Auction

Books from Valdemar's Castle, 30 November 2022

Category
Estimate

15,000–20,000 DKK

Sold

Price realised

38,000 DKK