the umbrella appears frequently. Austen Henry Layard gives a picture of a bas-relief representing a king in his chariot, with an attendant holding an umbrella over his head, dating from c. 710 BC. It has a curtain hanging down behind, but is otherwise exactly like those in use today. It is reserved exclusively for the monarch (who was bald), and is never carried over any other person.

In Persia, the umbrella is repeatedly