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Pen Box with Muhammad Shah Qajar and Nur `Ali Shah

Pen Box with Muhammad Shah Qajar and Nur `Ali Shah

Abu’l-Hasan Isfahani

Rectangular box with lift-off lid secured by a chain. The exterior of the lid is decorated in vertical format with a portrait of Muhammad Shah Qajar (r. 1834 48) seated on a chair like throne. The inside of the lid bears an image of a young dervish standing in an interior, with a staff and flowers. An inscription identifies the figure as Nur `Ali Shah (d. 1797), leader of the Ni’mat’ullahi Sufi order. The outside of the box is decorated with hunting scenes. On the base, a gold arabesque is painted on a red background.

Opaque watercolor, gold-colored pigments, and lacquer on pasteboard

Qajar period

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