Lot 106R
Three photographs depicting Muzaffar al-Din Shah Qajar (reg. 1896-1907), and one of Muhsin Khan Mushir al-Dawleh, briefly Prime Minister Qajar Persia, by the Royal Photographer, Ibrahim ibn Sani' al-Saltanah, one mount dated AH 1319/AD 1901, another AH 1320/AD 1902-03(4)
25 October 2021, 11:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£6,000 - £8,000
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Three photographs depicting Muzaffar al-Din Shah Qajar (reg. 1896-1907), and one of Muhsin Khan Mushir al-Dawleh, briefly Prime Minister
Qajar Persia, by the Royal Photographer, Ibrahim ibn Sani' al-Saltanah, one mount dated AH 1319/AD 1901, another AH 1320/AD 1902-03
Qajar Persia, by the Royal Photographer, Ibrahim ibn Sani' al-Saltanah, one mount dated AH 1319/AD 1901, another AH 1320/AD 1902-03
gelatin silver prints, laid down on pink mounts with Persian inscriptions written in nasta'liq script, one with two photographs verso depicting mosques in Persia, two others with pages from French illustrated journals dated 1906
photographs 379 x 257 mm., 368 x 270 mm., 285 x 385 mm., 360 x 283 mm.; card mounts 470 x 322 mm.(4)
photographs 379 x 257 mm., 368 x 270 mm., 285 x 385 mm., 360 x 283 mm.; card mounts 470 x 322 mm.(4)
Footnotes
The photographs are as follows:
1. Muzaffar al-Din Shah seated with two standing ministers (one is Amin al-Sultan, the high Qajar official who held numerous posts including that of Prime Minister between 1887 and 1907). The caption reads: hasb al-amr-e mobarak-e a'la-hazrat-e homayuni ruhana fadahu dar 'akkas-khaneh-ye mobarakeh bar-dashteh shod, 'It was taken in the Royal Photography studio by the order of the Blessed, His Majesty [Muzaffar al-Din Shah], the Monarch – may our soul be sacrificed for him'. Signed 'Ibrahim ibn Sani' al-Saltanah'.
On the reverse are two roughly contemporary photographs depicting the exterior and interior of the ... mosque...
2. Muzaffar al-Din Shah seated next to a table on which stands a globe. The caption reads: timthal-e bi-methal-e a'la-hazrat-e qadar qodrat-e aqdas-e shahanshahi al-sultan muzaffar al-din shah dar shahr-e rajab sanah 1319 bar-dashteh shod, 'The unparalleled effigy of His Majesty of magnifying powers of the most pure monarch al-Sultan Muzaffar al-Din Shah, was taken in the month of Rajab 1319 (October-November 1901)'. Signed 'Ibrahim ibn Sani' al-Saltanah'.
Another example of this photograph was sold in these rooms, Islamic and Indian Art, 30th April 2019, lot 116. [with a slight difference in the caption].
3. Muzaffar al-Din Shah seated by a pool with many attendants looking on. The captions in upper and lower borders comprise a couplet in praise of the King, his name, and three names, Amin al-Sultan (Muzaffar al-Din Shah's Prime Minister); Aziz al-Sultan (known as Malijak, the favourite page of Nasir al-Din Shah); Salar al-Dawlah (third son of Muzaffar al-Din Shah). Dated AH 1320/AD 1902-03.
4. Muhsin Khan Mushir al-Dawlah, Prime Minister under Muzaffar al-Din Shah for two months, seated in a studio with a young boy. The inscription reads: gholam-e khaneh-zad Ibrahim ibn sani' al-saltanah, 'The servant at court, Ibrahim ibn Sani' al-Saltanah'.
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.