Head of a Warrior of New Zealand. Cook c1774.

by Cook, Captain James

Antique print, Tête d'un Guerrier de la Nouvelle Zélande.

This is a superb engraving of a Maori on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. after the fine drawing by Sydney Parkinson, the official artist during the first voyage of Captain Cook around the world between 1768 and 1771. Lieutenant James Cook in Endeavour charted New Zealand, the East Coast of New South Wales (Australia) and many other important discoveries in the Pacific Ocean.

This copperplate engraving was by Benard published in Paris c1774 for the French edition of Cook’s first voyage, Relation des voyages entrepris par ordre de sa Majesté Britannique actuellement régnante pour faire des découvertes dans l’hémisphere meridional, et successivement exécutés par le commodore Byron, le capitaine Carteret, le capitaine Wallis et le capitaine Cook dans les vaisseaux le Dauphin, le Swallow and l’Endeavour.

This engraving is in fine condition for its age, with slight soiling to top right corner and base. On hand-laid paper, there is a distant intaglio impression all round, and deckled edge to the page. To platemark measures 230 x 185mm (9 x 7 1/4 inches) 

We have several of Cook's important maps of New Zealand and the east coast of Australia, as well as other engravings of peoples and places, which were the first recordings of discoveries and republished for circulation in Europe.