The reverse inscribed “Mulig Mohamed Ben Abdallah, Kejser af Marokko 1757–89 og hans 6 forgængere. Gave til daværende dansk konsulatsekretær Emanuel R. Grove. Tilhører dennes sønnesøn Arkivsekretær Grove.” Meaning “Possibly Mohamed Ben Abdallah, Emperor of Morocco 1757–89 and his 6 predecessors. Gift to the Danish secretaire of the consulate Emanuel R. Grove. Belonging to his grandchild Secretaire of the Archives Grove.”

Provenance: Emanuel Rasmus Grove 1756–1847. After graduation from Herlufsholm in 1772, Grove was employed at the Admirality and in 1777 he was appointed Danish secrétaire consul to Morocco. The Moroccan dispatch was the start of a long career as representative for Denmark in international matters for the polylingual Grove, who in the 1790ies, in the last years of the French Revolution, was sent to Paris as Consul General to negotiate releasement of Danish ships seized in the conflict. In the decade leading up to the Danish State bankruptcy of 1813, Grove negotiated financial matters with other European nations, most importantly the Netherlands, where he managed to settle a deferral of a loan of 1 mio. Dutch guilder. In the crucial year of 1813 Grove tried to obtain a loan from the French authorities of 8 mio. franc but failed, despite a great personal effort and a most extraordinary authorization to offer the Danish crown jewels in deposit. Apart from his abilities as an international negotiator, Grove was also known to be a connoisseur of art.

According to family tradition he received the portraits from the Moroccan ruler, however that cannot be verified. Thence by descent.