Penbox with Portrait of Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar

Unknown

1840s · Papier-mache; painted and varnished · Islamic Art

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.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1840s

Medium

Papier-mache; painted and varnished

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Purchase, 2017 and 2018 NoRuz at The Met Benefit, 2022