Matthew Thomas
Senior Specialist
Lot 55R
A Qajar lacquer penbox (qalamdan) by Najaf 'Ali Isfahani Persia, dated AH 1265/ AD 1848-9
26 October 2020, 11:00 GMT
London, New Bond StreetSold for £1,147.50 inc. premium
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A Qajar lacquer penbox (qalamdan) by Najaf 'Ali Isfahani
Persia, dated AH 1265/ AD 1848-9
Persia, dated AH 1265/ AD 1848-9
with rounded ends and sliding tray, decorated in polychrome and gilt with cartouches containing a Christian saint, architectural and landscape scenes and youths visiting holy men, the sides of the tray and base with vines
23.4 cm. long
23.4 cm. long
Footnotes
Provenance
Private UK collection.
Inscriptions: ya shah-e najaf 1265, 'O King of Najaf! (i.e. Imam 'Ali), 1265 (1848-9)'.
This is the signature used by the famous Qajar lacquer painter Najaf 'Ali Isfahani. His recorded works include lacquered pen boxes, mirror cases and book covers depicting various subjects, including European and Indian ones, and are dated between 1227 (AD 1812-13) and 1274 (AD 1857-8). For further information see Karimzadeh Tabrizi, The Lives & Art of Old Painters of Iran, vol. 3, London, 1991, pp. 1368-81 and Khalili, Robinson, Stanley, Lacquer of the Islamic Lands, Part Two, 1997, pp. 22-9 and cat. nos. 226, 228, 229, 231, 234, 235, 238, 265, 267 & 273.
Important Notice to Buyers
Some countries e.g., the US, prohibit or restrict the purchase by its citizens (wherever located) and/or the import of certain types of Iranian-origin works. As a convenience to buyers, Bonhams has marked with the symbol R all lots of Iranian (Persian) origin. It is each buyer's responsibility to ensure that they do not bid or import a lot in contravention of the sanctions or trade embargoes that apply to them.