NORTH IRAN, EARLY 17TH CENTURY

The elegant youths decorating the well of these dishes wear turbans in fashion under the reign of Shah ‘Abbas I (r. 1588-1629). Although the style in which they are depicted seems indebted to the Iranian manuscript painting tradition, their subject is represented in a bold and innovative manner. Differently from earlier Persian portraits, which depicted their subjects in full, these dishes portray the youths from the bust up. This peculiar decorative choice suggests a European influence (Istanbul, Isfahan, Delhi. 3 Capitals of Islamic Art. Masterpieces from the Louvre Collection, Istanbul, 2008, pp.216-17). These dishes belong to a distinct group of ceramics known as Kubachi wares, named after a remote Daghestani village where many examples were found. Such wares were used to decorate villagers’ houses towards the end of the nineteenth century. A comparable Kubachi dish sold in these Rooms, 7 April 2011, lot 140.