Editing Umbrella (section)

==== Ancient Near East ====

[[File:Relief of Xerxes at Doorway of his Palace, Persepolis, Iran.jpg|thumb|upright|Bas-relief of the Persian king [[Xerxes I]] (485–465 BC) at [[Persepolis]]]]

The oldest extant example of a parasols appears in the archaeological record around 2310 BC, in a victory stele of  [[Sargon of Akkad]].<ref name="White Muscarella 1999, 1" /><ref>Simpson, Elizabeth (2014): "A Parasol from Tumulus P at Gordion", in: Engin, Atilla; Helwing, Barbara;  Uysal, Bora (eds.): "Armizzi. Engin Özgen'e Armağan / Studies in Honor of Engin Özgen", Ankara, pp.&nbsp;237–246 (239), {{ISBN|978-605-5487-59-1}}</ref> In later sculptures at [[Nineveh]], the parasol appears frequently.<ref name="sangster">Sangster, William, 1808–1888. ''Umbrellas and Their History''. London: Cassell, Petter, and Galpin [1871]. [https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6674 Available online as Gutenberg etext 6674, retrieved March 2005] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923064749/https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6674/ |date=23 September 2020 }}.</ref> [[Austen Henry Layard]] gives a picture of a [[bas-relief]] representing a king in his chariot, with an attendant holding a parasol over his head, dating from c. 710 BC.<ref name="sangster" /> It has a curtain hanging down behind, but is otherwise exactly like those in use today.<ref name="sangster" /> It is reserved exclusively for the monarch (who was bald), and is never carried over any other person.<ref name="sangster" />

In [[Persian Empire|Persia]], the parasol is repeatedly found in the carved work of [[Persepolis]], and Sir [[John Malcolm]] has an article on the subject in his 1815 "History of Persia."<ref name="sangster" /> In some sculptures, the figure of a king appears attended by a servant, who carries over his head an umbrella, complete with stretchers and runner.<ref name="sangster" /> In other sculptures on the rock at [[Taq-e Bostan|Taghe-Bostan]], supposed to be not less than twelve centuries old, a deer-hunt is represented, at which a king looks on, seated on a horse, and having an umbrella borne over his head by an attendant.<ref name="sangster" />