Penbox with Portrait of Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar
Large-size lacquer penboxes depicting full-scale portraits of a Qajar ruler are rare. This example bears the portrait of Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar (r. 1848–1896) seated on a jeweled throne in a Europeanizing landscape. He wears a European military uniform with trousers and a jacket with epaulettes. He is also shown with a jeweled belt and armbands (bazubands). The eclectic nature of the details of portrait reflect the "in-between" spirit of the first decades of the shah's reign.
Artwork Details
- Title: Penbox with Portrait of Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar
- Date: 1840s
- Geography: Probably made in Iran
- Medium: Papier-mache; painted and varnished
- Dimensions: W. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm)
L. 11 in. (28 cm) - Classification: Lacquer
- Credit Line: Purchase, 2017 and 2018 NoRuz at The Met Benefits, 2022
- Object Number: 2022.323
- Curatorial Department: Islamic Art
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early 19th century
Fathallah Shirazi (Iranian, active 1850s–80s)
mid-19th century
Aqa Buzurg Shirazi (Iranian, active ca. 1840–1860)
1840's
ca. 1850
Muhammad Isma'il Isfahani (Iranian, 1814–1892)
dated 1271 AH/1854 CE
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