Islamic Art
Property of a European Collector Part II 29 October, 11am
Islamic Art: Property of a European Collector Part II Friday 29 October, 11am Viewings at our Chiswick Saleroom Friday 22 October, 9am to 5pm Saturday 23 October, 11am to 5pm Monday 25 October, 9am to 5pm Tuesday 26 October, 9am to 5pm Wednesday 27 October, 9am to 5pm Thursday 28 October, 9am to 5pm Lots of Iranian Origin 1. Bidders are advised that some countries (such as the USA) prohibit or restrict the purchase and import of Iranian “works of conventional craftsmanship” (works that are not by a recognised artist and/ or that have a function, such as lacquer decorative objects, pottery bowls and tiles, metalware, scientific instruments and textiles) and carpets. These restrictions do not apply to “informational materials” such as paintings, manuscripts and works on paper. All bidders are responsible for familiarising themselves with the laws that apply to them and ensuring that they do not bid or import properties in contravention of relevant sanctions or trade embargoes. 2.The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has imposed a ban on the importation of Iranian goods to or via its member states. Please check with you shippers whether you will be able to ship Iranian artworks to the GCC member states prior to bidding.
Collection of Lots We continue to offer a Click and Collect service for all purchased lots. The process is quick and easy and can be done personally or via your chosen courier. Contact collections@chiswickauctions.co.uk for more information. Condition Reports All our sales are fully illustrated online and have been expertly catalogued by our specialists. We recommend you request a condition report via our website prior to the sale. Terms & Conditions For a full list of our Terms & Conditions, please visit www.chiswickauctions.co.uk Buyer’s Premium The buyer shall pay Chiswick Auctions Ltd. a premium on the hammer price of 25%+ VAT on that commission. Front Cover Lot 215 Front Inside Cover Lot 197 Back Inside Cover Lot 199 Back Cover Lot 201
Photography Jordan Salzmann Steven McCauley Neil Tung Graphic Design Sushmita Paija
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Lot 100 A SET OF SAFAVID-REVIVAL LACQUERED, GILT AND POLYCHROME-PAINTED WOODEN DOORS Iran, 20th century each shutter approximately 166cm x 45.5cm £400 - £600 Provenance: Purchased from a UK auction house, previously offered at Christie’s London, 25 April 1995, lot 109
Lot 101 THREE LARGE QAJAR LACQUERED AND POLYCHROME-PAINTED WOODEN ARCHITECTURAL PANELS Qajar Iran, late 19th century £500 - £700 Provenance: Christie’s South Kensington, Interiors, 2 October 2012, lot 47
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Top detail of lot 104
Lot 102 A KHORASAN-REVIVAL COPPER-INLAID BRASS OIL LAMP Possibly Khorasan, North-Eastern Iran, 19th century 24cm x 21.2cm £200 - £300 Lot 103 A TINNED COPPER BOWL Iran, late 17th - 18th century 15cm diam. and 11.5cm high £600 - £800
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Lot 104 A GOLD-DAMASCENED STEEL EWER BASIN WITH ITS OPENWORK COVER Qajar Iran, 19th century 32.5cm diam. and 13cm high £500 - £700 Lot 105 A QAJAR GOLD-DAMASCENED STEEL EWER AND AN ENGRAVED TINNED COPPER EWER Iran, 19th century 44.5cm high and 39cm high £400 - £600 6
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Lot 106 TWO SAFAVID COPPER-LUSTRE PAINTED POTTERY BOTTLES Iran, 17th century 12.3cm high and 10cm high £300 - £500
Lot 108 A RESCHT (RASHT) KURSI COVER Rasht, Caspian region, Qajar Iran, early 20th century 153cm x 140cm £400 - £600
Lot 107 A GROUP OF PRAYER BEADS Iran and the Arabian Gulf, 20th century 24cm long; 43cm long; 43cm long; and 33.5cm long £150 - £200
Lot 109 A SAMANID EARTHENWARE BOWL Iran or Central Asia, 10th century 20cm diam. £200 - £400
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Lot 110 TWO FLORAL STUDIES WITH THE GOL-O-BOLBOL MOTIF Qajar Iran, 19th century each folio 23.5cm x 17cm £200 - £300
Lot 111 THREE PERSIAN POTTERY VESSELS Iran, 18th - 19th century 21.3cm diam; 22.5cm diam and 5.7cm high £200 - £300
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Lot 112 SIX ENAMELLED PORCELAIN CUPS WITH GILT DETAIL Qajar Iran, 19th century 4.1cm high x 5.2cm diam £200 - £300 Lot 113 TWO PORTRAITS OF QAJAR COUPLES Iran, 19th century 33cm x 24.5cm and 34cm x 26.8cm £500 - £700
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Lot 114 THREE OVAL PORTRAITS OF QAJAR BEAUTIES Qajar Iran, late 19th century each approximately 26cm x 18cm £600 - £800 Lot 115 A POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED GOLD EARRING Iran, 19th century 4cm x 3.2cm £120 - £130
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Lot 116 A GOLD RING WITH A POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMEL PORTRAIT OF FATH ‘ALI SHAH (R.1797 - 1834) Qajar Iran, 19th century the ring 2cm diam. and the miniature portrait 1.8cm x 1.5cm £400 - £600 For a similar ring once part of the same collection, please see these Rooms, 22 July 2020, lot 95. Lot 117 A PAIR OF POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED GILT-COPPER EARRINGS Iran, 20th century each 9cm long £400 - £600 9
Lot 118 A QAJAR GOLD-DAMASCENED STEEL SHIELD WITH OPENWORK MEDALLIONS Iran, 19th century 39cm diam £800 - £1200 Provenance: Christie’s London, 25 April 1995, part of lot 122. 122
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Lot 119 A QAJAR GOLD-DAMASCENED OPENWORK STEEL SHIELD Iran, first half 19th century 37cm diam. £800 - £1200 Provenance: Christie’s London, 25 April 1995, part of lot 122. Lot 120 FIVE ENGRAVED MAGIC BOWLS Iran, mid to late 20th century each 13cm diam £400 - £600 Lot 121 FIVE ENGRAVED BRASS MAGIC BOWLS AND A QAJAR BOWL WITH FIGURAL DECORATION Iran, 19th and 20th century the largest 14cm diam. £500 - £700
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Lot 122 SIX SMALL MAMLUK-REVIVAL COPPER AND SILVERINLAID CAIROWARE BRASS BOWLS Egypt, 20th century each 12.5cm diam. £150 - £200
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A selection of lot 123
Lot 123 A MIXED SET OF COMMEMORATIVE BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN SERVICES MADE FOR THE IRANIAN MARKET Central Asia, late19th and 20th century the largest item 41cm long £300 - £500
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Lot 124 TWO POLYCHROME-PAINTED PORCELAIN QALYAN CUPS Europe or China, late19th - early 20th century the tallest 16cm high £200 - £300 Lot 125 A GILT DIAMOND-CUT OPALINE GLASS QALYAN BOTTLE AND CUP Iran, late 19th - early 20th century 19.5cm high and 20cm high £300 - £500 Lot 126 A CHROMOLITHOGRAPH PRINT OF NASIR AL-DIN SHAH (‘SOVEREIGNS, NO. 11’) London, England, drawn by Sir Leslie Ward (1851-1922) 40.2cm x 28.2cm including the frame £100 - £150 The National Portrait Gallery in London owns a copy of this 1873 chromolithograph and holds it in its permanent collection (inv. no. NPG D43595). For further information, please check their website.
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Detail of lot 130
Lot 127 A MATCHING PAIR OF PATEH PORTIERES Kirman, Iran, 19th century 279cm x 93cm £500 - £700 Lot 128 A LARGE GILT AND ENAMELLED PINK GLASS LIDDED BOWL Possibly Bohemia, Czech Republic for the Iranian export market, late 19th century 18.5cm diam. and 33.5cm high £500 - £700 Lot 129 TWO PEN CASE INKWELLS (DAWAT) Qajar Iran and Ottoman Turkey, 19th century 1.5cm x 5cm and 1.8cm x 5.5cm £200 - £400 Lot 130 A LARGE CARVED LOW-GRADE EMERALD FRAGMENT WITH GOLD-INLAID CALLIGRAPHIC BANDS Possibly India, late 19th - 20th century 4cm x 3cm x 2.5cm £200 - £300 Lot 131 A CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL Iran, 20th century the panel 32.5cm x 23cm, 57cm x 44.5cm including frame £250 - £350
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Lot 132 A CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL Iran, late 20th century 30cm x 42cm, 42cm x 55.5cm including mount £150 - £250 Lot 133 THREE WHEEL-CUT, DIAMOND-CUT AND GILT GLASS LAMP COVERS AND A DISH Possibly Bohemia, Czech Republic, or France made for the Middle Eastern market, late 19th century the tallest 30.5cm high, the dish 22.5cm diam £300 - £500 Lot 134 TWO SMALL ALBUM PAGES WITH PORTRAITS OF QAJAR BEAUTIES Qajar Iran, 19th century each 24.5cm x 18cm including the frame £300 - £500
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Lot 135 FOUR ENGRAVED ISFAHANI SILVER SAMOVAR BOWLS Isfahan, Iran, 20th century each 11.5cm diam. and 6cm high £200 - £300
Lot 137 A TINNED COPPER BOWL Possibly Samarkand or Bukhara, Central Asia, late 18th 19th century 19cm diam. and 9.5cm high £400 - £600 135
Lot 138 A FINE QAJAR GOLD-DAMASCENED STEEL CUP Iran, 19th century 10cm diam. and 5.5cm high £400 - £600 Lot 139 A LARGE TINNED COPPER BOWL Possibly Samarkand or Bukhara, Central Asia, late 18th 19th century 26cm diam. and 10cm high £300 - £500
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Lot 136 A PAIR OF QAJAR REPOUSSÉ SILVER VASES WITH MYTHOLOGICAL ACHAEMENID-REVIVAL SCENES Shiraz, Fars, Iran, dated 1317 AH (1899) each 32cm high £800 - £1,200 The repoussé figural decoration on the pair’s exterior illustrates several scenes inspired by Persia’s glorious past, and the artistic tradition of ancient rock carvings of the Fars region. The lobed cartouches around the body showcase the primary tasks and correct behaviours of the rightful ruler, including scenes of fair government, punishment of misconduct, investment with the khvarenah (the divine empowerment of kings conferred by Ahura Mazda, the Supreme God of the Zoroastrian faith), and diplomatic encounters with foreign ambassadors. Around the neck, the oval medallions highlight the prowess and strength of the Achaemenid rulers following an iconographic vocabulary not dissimilar from the Greek Twelve Labours of Heracles, e.g. slaying chimaeras, lions and other fierce beasts. The iconographic programme of these vases is perfectly in tune with the late 19th-century Iranian royal gusto for artworks about that boast about the glorious past of Persia and the invincible nature of the Achaemenid rulers.
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Lot 140 A QAJAR ENAMELLED SILVER CANE HANDLE Iran, 19th century 9.5cm long £300 - £500
Lot 142 A QAJAR TINNED COPPER OPENWORK VASE Iran, 19th century 11cm diam. and 23.5cm high £300 - £500
Lot 141 TWO TINTED PORTRAIT SKETCHES OF A QAJAR YOUTH AND A QAJAR LADY Qajar Iran, dated 1315 AH (1897) and 1316 AH (1898), signed Muhammad Ali Zavieh 32.5cm x 26.5cm including the frame £300 - £500
Lot 143 A QASHQAI BAG FACE Iran, 20th century fringe to the base 60cm x 62cm £150 - £200
Lot 144 TWO ARCHAISTIC SAFAVID-REVIVAL PORTRAITS Iran, late 19th - mid 20th century 56.5cm x 46cm and 42.4cm x 26.5cm £300 - £500 Lot 145 A MODERN GOL-O-BOLBOL PAINTING AND AN ENTERTAINMENT GARDEN SCENE Iran, late 20th century 40cm x 30cm and 70cm x 61cm £150 - £200
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Lot 146 A QAJAR GOLD-DAMASCENED STEEL BELL AND TWO QALYAN (WATER PIPE) CUP METAL FITTINGS Iran, 19th century the largest 10.5cm high £200 - £300
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Lot 147 FOUR GLASS BEAD AND TURQUOISE-SET BRASS QALYAN CUPS Qajar Iran, 19th century the largest 8.2cm diam. and 7cm high £500 - £700 Lot 148 TWO TURQUOISE-INSET GILT COPPER QALYAN CUPS WITH WOODEN STEMS Qajar Iran, 19th century the largest 8cm diam. and 17cm high £400 - £600
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151 Lot 149 TWO PANELS OF NAKSHE Iran, 19th century 80cm x 66cm and 62cm x 40cm £400 - £600 Lot 150 A TINNED COPPER BOWL Central Asia or Iran, 17th - 18th century 16.5cm diam. and 14cm high £400 - £600 The nasta’liq inscriptions include three lines (6 half-lines) of poetry regarding Mashhad and Imam Reza, the Eight Shi’a Imam. It is likely that the bowl was commissioned on purpose by Mir Baqir to be taken around the Saint’s shrine and consecrating its content. Lot 151 A PANEL OF JAMUVAR SHAWL CLOTH AND TWO TERMEH PANELS Kashmir, North India and Iran, 19th century 64cm x 98cm; 60cm x 60cm and 55cm diameter £300 - £500
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Lot 152 A PERSIAN CEREMONIAL STEEL AXE WITH GOLD-DAMASCENED HEAD (TABARZIN) Iran, 18th - 19th century £700 - £1000 For a similar tabarzin, once part of the same collection, please refer to our past sale, Islamic Art - From a European Private Collection, 22 July 2020, lot 31.
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154 Lot 153 TWO BRONZE OPENWORK LANTERN COVERS Possibly Khorasan, North-Eastern Iran, 12th - 13th century 10.5cm diam. and 15cm high; 13cm diam. and 16.5cm high £300 - £500
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Lot 154 A PORTRAIT OF A QAJAR COURTESAN WAITING FOR HER LOVER Iran, 20th century 27.2cm x 21.5cm including the frame £100 - £120 Lot 155 A MURAQQA’ ALBUM PAGE WITH FLORAL DÉCOUPAGE Iran, late 19th century 38cm x 28.5cm including the frame £200 - £300 A group of découpage folios and another of album borders ascribed to the celebrated Nasir Al-Din Shah Album and presenting an analogous decoration with colourful floral sprays were successfully sold in these Rooms, 22 July 2020, lots 111 and 112. This album page does not match the quality, fineness and design complexity of those folios and borders, but it certainly aims at repeating some of their patterns, proving that the album and its pages, with their whimsical style and use of bold colours, had a huge resonance in the pictorial arts of the late Qajar period. 19
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Further pages of lot 158
157 Lot 156 AN UNCUT AMIRI TERMEH SHAWL Kirman, Iran, 19th century 262cm X 122cm £300 - £500 Lot 157 A FINE UNCUT AMIRI TERMEH SHAWL Kirman, Iran, 19th century 233cm x 106cm £200 - £300 Mirza Taghi Khan Farahani, better known as Amir Kabir (1807-1852), Iran’s modernising prime minister (18481851), was a great patron of the arts and industry. His austere sartorial style employed coats fashioned out of such shawls as the present example, making them 20 synonymous with his style.
Lot 158 A CONCERTINA MURAQQA’ ALBUM OF CALLIGRAPHY AND MINIATURES Iran and India, 19th century 27.2cm x 18.3cm £800 - £1200 Lot 159 THREE ILLUSTRATED FOLIOS FROM A DISPERSED SHAHNAMEH BY NIZAMI GANJAVI Iran, the text 15th - 16th century, the illustrations 19th 20th century each folio 20.2cm x 13.8cm, 39cm x 28.7cm including the frame £300 - £500
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Lot 160 TWO MINIATURE MANUSCRIPT ILLUSTRATIONS FROM A DISPERSED KHOSROW O SHIRIN BY NIZAM GANJAVI Qajar Iran, first half 19th century 12.6cm x 6cm £300 - £500 Lot 161 A KALAMKARI COTTON HANGING Isfahan, Iran, 20th century 244cm x 160cm £100 - £150 161 21
Lot 162 A PORTRAIT OF A QAJAR FEMALE MUSICIAN Qajar Iran, 19th century 35cm x 28.5cm including the frame £150 - £200 Lot 163 TWO QAJAR STANDING PORTRAITS Qajar Iran, 19th century 36cm x 27cm including the frame; 35.5cm x 27.5cm including the frame £200 - £300
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Lot 164 A MINIATURE GRISAILLE PORTRAIT OF A QAJAR BEAUTY Qajar Iran, early 19th century the portrait 6cm x 4.5cm, 38cm x 28.2cm including the frame £300 - £500 Lot 165 A QAJAR PORTRAIT OF THE MYTHICAL KING KAY KAVUS Qajar Iran, 19th century 33cm x 29cm including the frame £200 - £300
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Lot 166 A LOW-GRADE SILVER FILIGREE BRACELET SET WITH A LARGE EMERALD-CUT SYNTHETIC RUBY Possibly Ottoman Turkey or Eastern Provinces, 19th - 20th century 16cm long (when open) £400 - £600 Lot 167 A GARNET BEAD NECKLACE WITH GOLD FILIGREE PENDANT Possibly Iran or India, 19th - 20th century 22.5cm long £150 - £200
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Lot 168 A GOLDEN PENDANT SETTING WITH A FRINGE OF SEED PEARLS Iran, 19th - 20th century 5.5cm x 4.5cm £300 - £500
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Lot 169 A TURQUOISE-ENCRUSTED GOLD PENDANT Iran, late 19th - 20th century 6.2cm x 3.7cm £300 - £500 Lot 170 A COLLECTION OF SMALL GOLD JEWELLERY ELEMENTS AND A SILVER RING Iran, Anatolia and Egypt, 10th - 15th century ranging 1.8cm to 3cm £700 - £1000 Provenance: Christie’s London, 23 April 1996, lots 203, 204 and 205.
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Lot 171 TWO QAJAR PORTRAITS OF YOUTHS Qajar Iran, 19th century 38cm x 28.5cm and 36cm x 29cm £250 - £350 Lot 172 THREE QAJAR WATERCOLOURS OF TRADESMEN AND TWO PORTRAITS OF YOUTHS Qajar Iran, 19th century the largest watercolour 16cm x 12.2cm; the portraits 34cm x 24cm and 36cm x 30cm £500 - £700 171
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Lot 173 A PORTRAIT OF A MEMBER OF THE RELIGIOUS ELITE Qajar Iran, 19th century 31.5cm x 27.3cm including the frame £200 - £300 Lot 174 A PORTRAIT OF A QAJAR NOBLEMAN Qajar Iran, 19th century 34cm x 30cm including the frame £400 - £600 24
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Lot 175 AN UNCUT MUHARRAMAT TERMEH SHAWL Possibly Yazd, Iran, 19th century 179cm x 86cm £400 - £600 In contrast to Western fashion, where stripes often had negative symbolism and connotations like in the case of prison garbs, Persian and Indian shawl weavers routinely employed stripe designs as auspicious motifs. Lot 176 A MISCELLANEOUS GROUP OF JEWELLERY AND ACCESSORIES Iran, 19th - 20th century the largest pieces 6cm x 4.5cm and 10cm long £100 - £150
Lot 177 A GROUP OF FIVE SILVER AND WHITE METAL NECKLACES AND A CARNELIAN-ENCRUSTED TURKMEN BANGLE Central Asia and Iran, 19th - 20th century 5.5cm x 7cm £400 - £600 Lot 178 A FRAGMENT OF BROCADED SILK Possibly Varanasi, India, late 19th century 94cm x 33cm £200 - £300
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Lot 179 A VILLAGE LADY CARRYING A BASKET OVER HER HEAD Iran, dated 1970 49.5cm x 40cm £100 - £150 Lot 180 TWO QAJAR STUDIES OF FLOWERS IN THE STYLE OF MURAQQA’ ALBUM PAGES Qajar Iran, 19th century, one dated 1234 AH (1818) 36cm x 29cm and 34cm x 27.4cm £400 - £600
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Lot 181 TWO PORTRAITS: MOTHER AND CHILD AND THE LOVERS Iran, dated 1970Qajar Iran, late 19th - early 20th century each 43cm x 34.5cm including the frame £200 - £300
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Lot 182 TWO FLORAL STUDIES Iran, late 18th – 19th century and 20th century the folios 25cm x 16cm and 24cm x 17cm £300 - £500 Lot 183 A CARVED JADEITE JADE MINIATURE VASE China, 19th - 20th century 7cm high £300 - £500 Lot 184 A SMALL NEPHRITE JADE LIDDED BOX China and India, 18th - 19th century 8cm x 4cm x 2.1cm £400 - £600 Lot 185 A QAJAR PORTRAIT OF A FALCONER Qajar Iran, 19th century, signed Aliquli Jabbadar and later dated 1028 AH (1618/1619) 52cm x 41cm including the frame £200 - £300
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Lot 186 TWO ARCHAISTIC SAFAVID-REVIVAL PAINTINGS Iran, mid to late 20th century 34cm x 39cm and 83cm x 105.5cm £200 - £300 Lot 187 A GROUP OF SIX FEMALE QAJAR PORTRAITS Qajar Iran, 19th century the largest 19.3cm x 12cm £600 - £800
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Lot 188 TWO FLORAL STUDIES Iran, late 19th - 20th century 35.2cm x 28.5cm including the frame and 38cm x 29cm including the frame £300 - £400
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Lot 189 AN INTERIOR SCENE WITH A LADY PLAYING A PERSIAN TAR (LUTE) Iran, dated 1197 AH (1782 - 83), signed Ya Sadiq AlWa’d (Muhammad Sadiq, active 1740s-90s) the folio 28.2cm x 19.2cm, 33cm x 25cm including the frame. £300 - £500 Inscription: ‘Ya Sadiq al-Wa’d, ‘O You who are true to Your promise’ 1197 (1782 - 83), takhallos of Muhammad Sadiq, the foremost painter at the court of Karim Khan (r. 1750 – 79), the Zand ruler in Shiraz. Muhammad Sadiq worked in a variety of media and he was one of the greatest Zand painters of lacquer, oil paintings and watercolours. He was particularly skilled in depicting figures, flowers, battles and hunting scenes. His figures often tend to have modeled and elongated features, and they are always characterised by different attributes, accessories, facial expressions, and physiognomies. Their attires offer a wonderful insight into the fashion of late 18th-century Shiraz: the men often wear wound colourful turbans, whilst the women showcase jazzy wide trousers and loose blouses, their hands often painted red with henna and featuring black tattoos.
Signature reading Ya Sadiq Al-Wa’d
Muhammad Sadiq embraced and mastered the artistic transition from the cosmopolitan and imperial themes of the late Safavid and Afshar periods to the increased sense of lyricism, emotional expressiveness, and introduction of more poetic and intimate subjects, quintessential features of Zand painting (Layla Diba, Royal Persian Paintings: The Qajar Epoch 1785 - 1925, 1998, p. 147). Among his most celebrated and renowned works one could count the St. Petersburg album; two oil paintings in the pavilion built by the Zand ruler Karim Khan in Shiraz; and murals in the Chehel Sotun Palace in Isfahan. For further information on this artist and his output, please see Khalili, Robinson and Stanley, Lacquer of the Islamic Lands, Vol. I, 1996, pp. 74-5, cats. 66-68, 96-97, and M. A. Karimzadeh Tabrizi, The Lives & Art of Old Painters of Iran, Vol. I, London, 1985, pp. 257-64.
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Lot 190 AN INTERIOR SCENE WITH A COUPLE AND A TURKEY Iran, dated 1199 AH (1784 - 85), signed Muhammad ibn Khodadad the folio 28cm x 19cm, 33cm x 25cm including the frame £400 - £600 In the majority of paintings from the Zand period (1751 - 1794), the most common and beloved subjects seem to be scenes of domesticity and romantic encounters (Layla Diba, Royal Persian Paintings: The Qajar Epoch 1785 - 1925, 1998, p. 148). These paintings act as photographs of the time, capturing relevant elements of the history, costume, social behaviours and traditions of those years. Indeed, the outfit of our sitter provides a precious insight into the aesthetics of Zand fashion, his turban and sleeveless coat being the most recognisable and recurrent accessories in late 18th-century male portraits.
Signature reading Muhammad Ibn Khodadad 1199 AH lot 190
The painter Muhammad ibn Khodadad, active in the Zand period at about the same time of Muhammad Sadiq, was known for his bird studies and flower paintings, often painted in a style reminiscent of Safavid models. The choice of including a turkey in this domestic scene is rather unusual. North American turkey cocks (Meleagris gallopavo) were exotic birds that had to be imported from distant lands. No wonder that the Mughal emperor Jahangir (r. 1605-1627) requested his friend, the high-ranking noble Muqarrab Khan, procure him one. When the bird finally arrived in India in 1612, it caused such a sensation that the emperor ordered one of his best painters, Mansur, to draw it and include the accurate and realistic drawing in his Jahangirnama (please see the original album page in the Victoria and Albert Museum Collection, acc. no. IM.135-1921). Thus, the choice of the painter to draw such a rare animal in this painting could lead to two possible explanations: either the sitter was a member of the Zand court and his high-ranking status granted him access to exotic animals and rare delicacies, or the painter wanted to flaunt his drawing skills by depicting a bird he was unlikely to have seen up close in real life. For three other miniatures by Muhammad ibn Khododad, dated 1204 AH (1789), please see Sotheby’s London, 18 April 2007, lot 36 and Matthew Barton Ltd., 21 - 22 November 2018, lot 354. Lot 191 AN INTERIOR WINE-DRINKING SCENE Iran, late 18th century, in the style of Muhammad ibn Khodadad the folio 19cm x 12.6cm, 42.5cm x 32.5cm including the frame £300 - £500
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Lot 192 A MATCHING PAIR OF PATEH PORTIERES Kirman, Iran, late 19th century 275cm x 93cm £500 - £700 Lot 193 A PAIR OF WOODEN WINDOW SHUTTERS Iran, 20th century 69.5cm x 93cm £150 - £200
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Qajar Decorative Arts The Art of Persian Reverse Glass Painting: ‘Naqqashi-ye Posht-e Shishe’
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Lot 194 A REVERSE GLASS PAINTING OF TROUTS Qajar Iran, late 19th - early 20th century 20.5cm x 31cm including the frame £200 - £300 Lot 195 TWO REVERSE GLASS PAINTINGS WITH A GOL-O-BOLBOL MOTIF Iran, 20th century each approximately 37.5cm x 25.5cm excluding the frames £300 - £500
A selection of lot 196
Lot 196 ELEVEN FRAGMENTS AND ARCHITECTURAL PANELS OF REVERSE GLASS PAINTINGS Iran, 19th and 20th century the largest panel 42cm x 77cm including the frame £800 - £1200 Provenance: Christie’s London, 4 October 2012, lot 159 (three panels only)
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197 Lot 197 TWO ARCHITECTURAL REVERSE GLASS PAINTINGS OF QAJAR PAVILIONS Qajar Iran, late 19th - early 20th century 23.5cm x 23.5cm and 44cm x 44cm including the frames £400 - £600 198
Lot 198 A REVERSE GLASS PAINTING WITH A GOL-O-BOLBOL MOTIF Qajar Iran, late 19th - early 20th century 76cm x 48cm including the frames £300 - £500 Lot 199 AN OVAL REVERSE GLASS PAINTING OF IRISES Qajar Iran, late 19th - early 20th century 33cm x 28cm including the frame £200 - £300
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Lot 200 TWO QAJAR REVERSE GLASS PAINTINGS WITH FLORAL TRIUMPHS Qajar Iran, late 19th - early 20th century 23cm x 23cm and 65cm x 48cm including the frames £500 - £700
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Qajar Decorative Arts Mina’i on Metal: The Art of Persian Enamelling
Lot 201 A POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED COPPER OVAL DISH WITH YUSUF AND ZULEYKHA Qajar Iran, first half 19th century 16cm x 12cm x 1.5cm £600 - £800 For a similar composition on a different media (lacquer) once part of the same collection, please see these Rooms, 22 April 2020, lot 144.
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Lot 202 A SMALL QAJAR POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED COPPER BOWL Iran, 19th century 9cm diam. and 3cm high £150 - £250 Lot 203 A QAJAR GILT AND ENAMELLED SILVER AND LEATHER QALYAN BOTTLE Iran, 19th century 22.5cm high £800 - £1200 Provenance: Bonhams London, 27 April 1994, lot 289.
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interior detail of lot 202
Lot 204 TWO QAJAR POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED AND GILT PIPES Iran, 19th century each 10.5cm long and 5cm high £600 - £800 Lot 205 A SMALL QAJAR POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED COPPER BOWL Iran, 19th century 10cm diam. x 8.5 high £200 - £400
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Bottom detail of lot 205
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Lot 206 A QAJAR POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED COPPER QALYAN CUP Iran, 19th century 8cm diam. and 5.5cm high £300 - £500 Lot 207 A QAJAR POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED COPPER QALYAN CUP Iran, mid to late 19th century 8.5cm diam. and 6cm high £300 - £500 Lot 208 A QAJAR POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED GILT COPPER QALYAN CUP Iran, mid to late 19th century 8.5cm diam. and 6.5cm high £200 - £300
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Lot 209 A QAJAR GOLD-DAMASCENED STEEL QALYAN CUP Iran, late 19th century 8cm diam. and 16.5cm high £300 - £500 Lot 210 THREE SECTIONS OF POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED WATER PIPES (QALYAN) Qajar Iran, 19th century 16cm, 14.5cm and 14cm high £150 - £250
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Lot 211 A QAJAR POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED COPPER QALYAN CUP Iran, 19th century 17.5cm high £600 - £800
Lot 214 A QAJAR POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED GILT COPPER QALYAN CUP Iran, mid to late 19th century 9cm diam. and 8cm high £200 - £300
Lot 212 TWO QAJAR POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED PORTRAIT MINIATURE PLAQUES Iran, 19th century 4.1cm x 2.7cm and 2cm x 1.5cm £300 - £500
Lot 215 TWO QAJAR POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED COPPER QALYAN CUPS Iran, 19th century 8.4cm diam. and 7.2cm high and 7cm diam. and 5cm high £500 - £700
Lot 213 A QAJAR POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED GOLD PLAQUE WITH A COURTLY MAIDEN Iran, 19th century 5cm x 5cm £300 - £500
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217 Lot 216 A POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED COPPER LIDDED CASKET Qajar Iran, 19th century 8.5cm x 15.5cm x 12.5cm £200 - £400 Lot 217 A QAJAR POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED COPPER QALYAN CUP Iran, 19th century 23.5cm high £600 - £800
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Lot 218 TWO POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED GOLD THIMBLES Qajar Iran, 19th century the larger 2.5cm high £300 - £500
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219 Lot 219 A QAJAR POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED COPPER BOX: THE LOVERS OBSERVED Qajar Iran, 19th century 6cm x 9.5cm x 3cm £800 - £1200 Lovers’ scenes like the one on our box, especially including other characters acting as witnesses, were a very popular subject during the Qajar period, and they were repeated by several artists. Differently from the stereotypical duo of Qajar beauties and beaus often encountered on enamelled and lacquered artworks, this scene showcases the artist’s talent in sharply observing real facts and consequently, reproducing them on the enamelled media without diluting its content. The expressions of the characters are particularly meaningful and intriguing. For a similar, though more refined, enamelled plaque mounted on a box showing a scene of interrupted lovers, please see Christie’s London, 26 October 2017, lot 111.
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Lot 220 A QAJAR SILVER ENAMELLED WATER PIPE (QALYAN) BOTTLE Qajar Iran, 19th century approximately 21cm high £800 - £1200
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Lot 221 A QAJAR POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED SILVER QALYAN CUP Iran, 19th century 8cm diam. and 6.5cm high £300 - £500 Lot 222 A QAJAR COCO DE MER AND ENAMELLED SILVER WATER PIPE (QALYAN) Iran, 19th century approximately 24cm high £300 - £500
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Qajar Decorative Arts Tales, Princes and Scribes: The Art of Lacquer
Detail from the top of lot 223
Lot 223 A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) WITH THE KINGS OF IRAN Qajar Iran, dated Rajab 1320 AH (1902) and signed Abdul Hossein Sani’ Humayun 22.5cm long £300 - £500 This qalamdan is an exquisite example of the highly praised pictorial skills of Persian lacquer masters. The exterior showcases crowded enthronement scenes with all the most important mythical kings of Iran featured in the great epic Book of Kings (Shahnameh). The interior, instead, is finely decorated with portraits of poets, scholars, philosophers, and men of letters. The qalamdan could then be considered a tribute to the two souls of Persian culture: on one side, the great enlightened kings of the past, who ruled wisely, and were able to create a large, strong and healthy empire; and on the latter, the men of culture and letters, who imbued Persian society with fundamental values, ground-breaking ideas, and long-lasting cultural models.
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Lot 224 A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) WITH BAHRAM GUR AND THE SEVEN PRINCESSES Qajar Iran, dated 1298 AH (1880) 23cm long £500 - £700
Lot 225 A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) WITH BAHRAM GUR AND THE SEVEN PRINCESSES Qajar Iran, 19th century 22.5cm long £400 - £600
Lot 226 A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) WITH BAHRAM GUR AND THE SEVEN PRINCESSES Qajar Iran, late 19th - early 20th century 22.5cm long £150 - £250
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Lot 227 A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) WITH BIRDS AND HAZELNUTS Qajar Iran, ca. 1840 - 1850 24cm long £300 - £500
Lot 228 TWO LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASES (QALAMDAN) WITH THE GOL-O-BOLBOL MOTIF Qajar Iran, 19th century the longest 23cm long £300 - £500
Lot 229 A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) WITH BIRDS AND HAZELNUTS Qajar Iran, ca. 1850 - 1860 22.5cm long £300 - £500 The handwritten note on the interior of the qalamdan to be considered a not-to-self of the owner, who deemed the pen case could be the work of the lacquer master Ya Shah Najaf (Najaf ’Ali), and a date (possibly of purchase), 7th December 1996. 46
Lot 230 A QAJAR LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) WITH A STANDING PORTRAIT Qajar Iran, dated 1271 AH (1854) and signed Ya Shah Najaf (Najaf ‘Ali, 1795 - 1863) 23.5cm long £300 - £500
Lot 231 TWO LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASES (QALAMDAN) WITH STANDING PORTRAITS Qajar Iran, late 19th century each 23cm long £600 - £800
Lot 232 A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) WITH A EUROPEAN LADY’S PORTRAIT Qajar Iran, late 19th century 21cm long £400 - £600 The composition on this pen case is inspired by a similar one, though more refined, produced in Shiraz, signed Lutfallah al-Hamzawi and dated 1314 AH (1896-7), now in the Khalili Collection of Islamic Art - LAQ510 (N.D. Khalili, B.W. Robinson & T. Stanley, Lacquer of the Islamic Lands: Part 2, London, 1997, cat. 456, p. 230). Iranian models such as ours and the one in the Khalili Collection depart from Qajar compositions and show a quite clear indebtedness to the late 19th-century Russian prototypes made for the Iranian market. By the last quarter of the 19th century, both Russian and Japanese lacquer manufacturers were targeting the Qajar
market, attracted by the Iranians’ persistent appreciation for this medium (Massumeh Farhad, Mary McWilliams and Simon Rettig, A Collector’s Passion: Ezzat-Malek Soudavar and Persian Lacquer, Washington DC, 2017, p. 35). It wasn’t long before the Iranian craftsmen started reproducing the imported models from Lukutin and the Fedoskino factory, making the luxury import goods with European portraits and elongated oval cartouches with Russian romantic landscapes available to a broader local audience, closing the great circular journey of Iranian lacquer, which started with the Iranian inspiration of lacquer models produced in Italy, France, Germany and Russia and came back to Iran at the end of the Qajar Epoque. 47
Lot 233 A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) Qajar Iran, dated 1280 AH (1863) and signed Isma’il Naqqashbashi 23cm long £300 - £500
Lot 234 TWO LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASES (QALAMDAN) WITH THE GOL-O-BOLBOL MOTIF Iran, late 19th century and 20th century the longest 23cm long £400 - £600
Lot 235 TWO LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASES (QALAMDAN) WITH CHRISTIAN THEMES Iran, late 19th and early 20th century each 22.5cm long £500 - £700
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Lot 236 A QAJAR LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) Qajar Iran, 19th century 22.5cm long £500 - £700 The owner’s note on the interior: it appears to be the work of Aqa Zaman, number 77, price 20,000 tumans.
Lot 237 A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) WITH SCENES OF THE ESCAPE TO EGYPT Iran, 19th century 23.5cm long £400 - £600 The compositional arrangement, choice of subjects, and overall pictorial style of this qalamdan share an affinity with the lacquer productions attributed to the celebrated artist Muhammad Sadiq of Isfahan, a gifted pupil of Muhammad Ashraf whose work flourished from 1128 1177 AH (1716 - 1764). Sadiq is primarily known for his lyrical subjects, revealing his great skill as a portraitist. Our qalamdan presents several analogous stylistic features of a similar pen case in the Khalili Collection (LAQ 320), also attributed to Muhammad Sadiq (N.D. Khalili, B.W. Robinson & T. Stanley, Lacquer of the Islamic Lands Part 1, London, 1996, cat.97, pp.134–5). In particular, the scene of the young prince in conversation with a sage next to a tree (right end of the top) looks like an almost mirror image of the same scene on Khalili’s pen case.
Details from the top of lot 237
Lot 238 A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) WITH ANIMAL DECORATION Qajar Iran, dated 1301 AH (1883) 21.5cm long £200 - £300 The decorative cycle on this qalamdan could be read as a visual ‘mirror for princes’. The animal preys and predators could stand as symbols of weak and powerful rulers, but also as tyrants and liberators. The presence of miniature portraits of Sufi sheykhs and their pupils suggests a deeper significance of the decoration, encouraging the beholder to reflect on the correct conduct.
Lot 239 A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) WITH EROTIC SCENES Qajar Iran, 19th century 25.5cm long £400 - £600
Detail from the top of lot 239
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Lot 240 A KASHMIRI-STYLE LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) Qajar Iran, dated Shawwal 1253 AH (1837) 24cm long £400 - £600
Lot 241 A QAJAR LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) IN THE STYLE OF ABU TALIB Qajar Iran, 19th century 22.5cm long £500 - £700 Lot 242 A SMALL QAJAR LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ SHOE-SHAPED BOX Qajar Iran, 19th century 3cm x 8cm £150 - £250 The presence of several pairs of fish decorating this box and the fact that they are not bound to one of the Zodiac roundels but rather swim freely could possibly indicate that the box was commissioned as a present or yadgar (souvenir) to celebrate the Persian New Year (Nowruz), usually taking place on the 21st of March on the Spring Equinox day. In Persian culture, fish have both celestial, astrological and mythical importance being part of the creation myth. Given their relevance and auspicious connection to the beginning of the new Persian year, it shouldn’t surprise that one of the main dishes served on Nowruz is Sabzi Polo Mahi (herbed rice with fish). Detail from lot 242
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Two similar shoe-shaped boxes, coming from the same private collection, were successfully sold in these Rooms, 22 July 2020, lot 53.
Qajar Decorative Arts Reading Between the Lines: The Art of the Book
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Lot 243 FARHAD AND SHIRIN BY VAHSHI BAFQI (1532-1583) Iran, 19th century the text panel 12cm x 6.2cm, 15.4cm x 9.3cm £800 - £1200 The romance of Farhad and Shirin was left unfinished at the time of Vahshi’s death. The completion of the tome in 1835 by Vessal Shirazi created a new interest in this story and led to a new demand for such manuscripts, suitably illustrated with miniatures in a Safavid archaistic style.
Lot 244 SAHIFE- YE SAJJADIEH Iran, early 19th century the text panel 16cm x 7.5cm, the folio 22.7cm x 13.5cm £600 - £800 A collection of prayers by the fourth Shi’a Imam, the text is a popular compendium to daily prayers in the Iranian world.
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Lot 245 SAHIFE-YE SAJJADIEH Iran, signed Mohammad Mohsin Imami, dated twice Sunday 3 Zul Qa’da 1140AH (11 June 1728) the text panel 15.5cm x 8cm, the folio 20cm x 12cm £600 - £800
Lot 246 SAHIFEH-YE SAJJADIEH Iran, signed and dated Mohammad Ghassem Mohammad Rahim 1178AH (1764) the text panel 15.5cm x 7.4cm, the folio 21.5cm x 12cm £800 - £1200
Lot 247 AN IRANIAN QUR’AN Iran, signed and dated Ibn Mohammad Hashem Mohammad Reza Khwansari, Rabi’ ul Awwal 1106 (1694) the text panel 7.5cm x 4.4cm, the folio 9.7cm x 5.5cm £300 - £500
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Further pages from lot 250
Lot 248 GOLSHAN-E RAAZ BY SHEYKH MAHMOUD SHABESTARI, AND TWO OTHER MANUSCRIPTS Iran, 19th century 10.3cm x 7cm; 11.5cm x 6cm, the folio 17cm x 11cm; and the text panel £500 - £700 Lot 249 AN ILLUSTRATED SAFINA OF SA’DI POETRY Iran, 18th century text, 19th century miniatures the text panel 11.5cm x 6.2cm, the folio 14.5cm x 7.8cm £1000 - £1500 Lot 250 A SAFINA ANTHOLOGY OF POETRY OF SA’DI, BABA TAHIR ORYAN, AMIR HOSSEIN, SALMAN, AND OTHERS Iran, early 19th century the text panel 11.5cm x 5.3cm, the folio 14cm x 7cm £300 - £500
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Lot 251 RESALA JANAN AL SAYEMIN (HEAVENLY MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO FAST) Iran, signed and dated Mohammad Reza Hosseini Mashhadi 1108AH (1696) the text panel 15.5cm x 6.5cm, the folio 21.7cm x 11.8cm £400 - £600
Lot 252 A DIWAN OF SAEB TABRIZI (1592-1670) Iran, dated 1107AH (1695) the text panel 12cm x 16cm, the folio 16.8cm x 9.5cm £400 - £600
Lot 253 AN ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT OF A DISPERSED KHAMSA OF NIZAMI GANJAVI, INCLUDING THE SHARAF NAMEH, HAFT PEYKAR, ISKANDAR NAMEH, AND LEYLA AND MAJNUN Iran, dated 1060 and 1061 AH (1650 and 1651), with later illuminations the text panel 24.8cm x 14.7cm, the folio 31cm x 18.3cm £400 - £600 The present tome contains more than half the five books of the Khamsa in a peculiar pagination disregarding the traditional order of the romances. Moreover, the Iskandar Nameh (made up of the Sharaf Nameh and Iqbal Nameh) appears to be split by the Haft Peykar. The end of the first book is dated 1061 AH (1651), the second and third ones 1060 AH (1650), and the last undated. The Makhzan al Asrar and Khosrow and Shirin, traditionally the first two books, must have been bound separately. The seven illuminations of our copy are largely unrelated to the text.
Lot 254 BAZIL MASHHADI’S HAMLEH-YE HEYDARI Iran or possibly Kashmir, North India, dated late autumn, early Rabi’ ul Awwal 1196 (1782) the text panel 27cm x 16cm., the folio 32.3cm x 20cm £200 - £300 A number of poets penned a Hamleh-ye Heydari (the Lion’s Attack), celebrating the lives and battles of the Prophet and Ali. The epic of Mashhadi (died 1710) is the best-known version, heralding an entire genre of narrative poetry popular in the Indian sub-continent, rivaling the Rowza in Iran.
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Lot 255 AN OTTOMAN QUR’AN Ottoman Turkey, signed Seyyed Hajji Mohammad Amin, a teacher at the school of Sultan Suleyman Khan, dated Monday in the month of Rajab 1245 AH (1829) the text panel 12.5cm x 7cm, the folio 18.3cm x 11.8cm £200 - £300
Lot 256 AN ILLUSTRATED EROTIC MANUSCRIPT: THE BOOK OF ALFIEH AND SHARDUYEH (SHALFIEH?) Iran, dated Saturday the end of Rajab 1222 AH (1807) the text panel 21cm x 10cm, the folio 24.8cm x 13.5cm. £1000 - £1500 The emphasis of this erotic manuscript weighs on the importance of good manners, the choice of good company, personal hygiene, and thorough grooming, as well as an understanding of anatomy and synchrony. Most interestingly, although the text is clearly directed at a male audience, the narrative often describes matters from the female point of view.
Lot 257 A GHAZALIAT AND A SELECTION OF OTHER POEMS OF HAFEZ Iran, the manuscript 18th century, the re-binding including the text border 19th century the text panel 13.2cm x 7cm, the folio 19cm x 11.2cm £500 - £700 56
Lot 258 LUBB-E LUBAB-E MATHNAWI BY HUSSEIN BIN ALI BEYHAGHI KASHEFI (HOSSEIN WA’EZ KASHEFI) Iran, 19th century the folio 19.8cm x 12.5cm £200 - £400 Lot 259 MAFATIH AL-I’JAZ FI SHARH-I GULSHAN-I RAAZ: KEYS OF WONDER IN THE SECRET GARDEN (GOLSHAN-E RAAZ BY SHEYKH MAHMOUD SHABESTARI) BY MOHAMMAD BIN YAHYA BIN ALI GILANI NOURBAKSHI LAHIJI Iran, signed Mahmoud Kordan, dated Zi Qa’da 1207 AH (June 1793) 31cm x 21cm £150 - £250
Lot 260 ZAD AL-MA’AD (PROVISIONS FOR THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT) BY ALLAMEH MAJLESI Isfahan, Iran, dated Ramadan 1107 AH (April 1696) the text panel 10cm x 6cm, 13.3cm x 9cm £500 - £700
Lot 261 A GHAZALIAT OF HAFEZ, SONNETS 8 TO 462, AND OTHER POEMS Iran, the manuscript 18th century, the re-binding 19th century the text panel 16cm x 7cm, the folio 20.2cm x 11cm £150 - £250 57
Splash page
M E E T T H E S P E C IA L IS TS BEATRICE CAMPI
GHISLAINE HOWARD
Head of Sale Islamic & Indian Ar t beatrice.campi@chiswickauctions.co.uk
Depar tment Coordinator Islamic & Indian Ar t ghislaine@chiswickauctions.co.uk
G ET IN TOU C H
info@chiswickauctions.co.uk
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