Penbox with Portrait of Muhammad Shah Qajar

1840s

Not on view

This penbox bears a portrait of the third ruler of the Qajar dynasty, Muhammad Shah (r. 1834–1848) on the lid. The ruler is seated on a jeweled throne in a Europeanizing landscape. He wears a European military uniform with trousers and a jacket with epaulettes and holds a pistol yet dons an astrakhan hat with with a paisley-shaped aigrette and a bejeweled belt and armbands (bazubands). The eclectic details of costume and the setting, mixing traditional and European elements is characteristic of the "in-between" positioning of Muhammad Shah's reign.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Penbox with Portrait of Muhammad Shah Qajar
Date: 1840s
Geography: Probably made in Iran
Medium: Papier-mache; painted and varnished
Dimensions: W. 2 1/8 in. (5.3 cm)
L. 10 1/4 in. (26 cm)
Classification: Lacquer
Credit Line: Purchase, 2017 and 2018 NoRuz at The Met Benefits, 2022
Object Number: 2022.324a, b
Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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