Nathaniel Currier (1838-1888) first published this difficult to find print in 1846, at his workrooms located at 33 Spruce Street, New York, New York. This was 11 years before he made James Ives his partner, when the business was renamed Currier & Ives. The inscription below the image reads from left to right: " LITH. & PUB. BY N. CURRIER, Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1846 by N. Currier, in the Clerk's office of the District Court of the Southern District of N.Y. 33 Spruce St. N.Y."
The lithograph depicts a scene in the country which was then called Arabia. A majestic Arabian horse's reins are held by a man dressed in native clothing. In the background, there are tents, camels (one with a rider) and another horse, and more in the far distance. Like many of Currier's prints, the foreground and sky were printed in color; the man's clothing and the red decorations on the horse's bridle are hand colored.
The image size is 8 inches by 12 1/2 inches, exclusive of margins, the correct measurements for an original Currier small folio print. ** Visible margins are: bottom, 1 3/4 inches; sides, 1/2 inch each: top, 1 inch. These indicate that the margins have not been trimmed. The 2 1/2 inch wide cream colored mat covers any remaining part of the margins.
There are two creases top to bottom in the paper of this lithograph, a 3/8 inch tear in the lower right margin that does not extend into the print and the upper margin is somewhat rippled (visible when the artwork is laid flat.) It is otherwise in very good condition, with no other tears, no stains and retaining its vivid coloring.
The frame is more recent than the lithograph. It's made of soft pine in a medium brown finish. It has some scratches and dings and the upper left corner is very slightly separated. The measurements are 20 1/2 inches long, 17 1/2 inches top to bottom and 5/8 of an inch deep. The glass cover is in excellent condition, while the dust paper is missing off the back and there is an old hanging wire that seems sturdy. The artwork weighs 3 1/2 pounds and displays handsomely.
There is a copy of this Currier lithograph in the collection of the Library of Congress on this website: https://www.loc.gov/resource/pga.06078/
(You will have to copy and paste this in your browser...Etsy does not allow outside links.)
** Reference: "Currier & Ives Prints An Illustrated Checklist by Frederic A. Conningham" Crown Publishers, Inc. 1983
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