Losnr. 603 - 265.-273. Auktion
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Losnr. : 603 Äthiopien
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1864: Cover from Massawah to London franked by India 1856/64 1 a. brown, four examples, 2 a. yellow and cut round 8 p. purple, all tied in transit by Aden "124" numeral obliterators in black with framed "INDIA PAID" in red at left. The adhesives with small imperfections and the 8 p. removed from original position (over 'No. 33') and replaced. The cover with manuscript at lower left from "H. Rassam, Massawah, 4/10/64", and reverse with manuscript of Forwarding Agent "Received on the 9 Nov / 64 at 7 am per 'Dalhousie' Eduguee Manachi" with "ADEN" cds in black (Nov 10) and London arrival (Nov 26) in red. Further docketing "Answered by F.O. (Foreign Office), Febry 16th, 1865". Only two 'Layard' correspondence covers have been recorded (the other ex Reverend Payne collection). An extremely rare and important cover. Cert. RPSL (2016).rnrnNote: The writer, Hormuzd Rassam (1826-1910) at the age of 20 in 1846, Rassam was hired by the British archaeologist Austen Henry Layard (the above letter is addressed to Mrs Henry Layard) as a pay master at Nimrud, an Assyrian excavation site. Layard, who was in Mosul on his first expedition (1845–47), was impressed by the hard-working Rassam and took him under his wing; they would remain friends for life. Layard provided an opportunity for Rassam to travel to England and study at Magdalen College, Oxford. Layard left archeology to begin a political career. Rassam continued field work (1852–54) at Nimrud and Nineveh, where he made a number of important discoveries. These included the clay tablets that would later be deciphered by George Smith as the Epic of Gilgamesh, the world's oldest written narrative poem. With the help of Layard, he began a new career in government with a posting to the British Consulate in Aden, quickly rising to the post of First Political Resident and facilitating a number of agreements between the British and formerly hostile local community leaders. In 1866, an international crisis arose in Ethiopia when British missionaries were taken hostage by Emperor Tewodros II, Rassam would probably have prevented the entire Abyssinian campaign if not hindered in negotations with the Emperor Tewodoros by Charles Tilstone Beke.rnrnProvenance: Collection 'Menelik', Harmers, Lugano, 8 Dec 1989, lot 601; Collection Roberto Sciaky, Harmers, London, 25 July 2006, lot 3.1 / 1Ausruf : 2.500,00 CHFZuschlag : 4.000,00 CHF -
