QAJAR IRAN, MID 19TH CENTURY

Details

A SET OF WATERED STEEL ARMOUR OVERLAID WITH GOLD AND SILVER
QAJAR IRAN, MID 19TH CENTURY
Comprising helmet, arm-guard and shield, each of watered steel with large vine arabesques overlaid with gold and smaller silver floral motifs on the central fields, the borders carved with floral motifs, the fine butted iron mail with spotted butted copper mail pattern, the arm-guard with red cotton glove, the shield with wider border containing cartouches with silvered inscriptions, with red velvet lining, the helmet en suite with nose guard, two plume holders and iron and copper butted mail aventail
The helmet 11 3/8in. (28cm.) high without skirt; the shield 16 ¼in. (41.2cm.) diam.; the arm-guard 12 5/8in. (32cm.) long excluding mail

Provenance

By repute, Private Collection, Stockholm, before 2009

Further details

Some countries prohibit or restrict the purchase and/or import of Iranian-origin property. Bidders must familiarise themselves with any laws or shipping restrictions that apply to them before bidding on these lots. For example, the USA prohibits dealings in and import of Iranian-origin “works of conventional craftsmanship” (such as carpets, textiles, decorative objects, and scientific instruments) without an appropriate licence. Christie’s has a general OFAC licence which, subject to compliance with certain conditions, would enable a buyer to import certain lots of this type into the USA. If you intend to use Christie’s licence, please contact us for further information before you bid.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Phoebe Jowett Smith Sale Coordinator & Cataloguer

pjowettsmith@christies.com +44 20 7752 3221

Lot Essay

Although long since made obsolete as armour by advances in gunpowder technology, finely decorated armour sets continued to be made in 19th century Iran. Rather than being used on the battlefield or in court ceremony, such armours were worn by actors in ta’ziyeh performances and by participants in other Muharram commemorations (Annabelle Collinet, ‘Performance Objects of Muharram in Iran: A Story through Steel’, Journal of Material Cultures in the Muslim World I, Leiden, Brill, 2020, pp.226-247). Such armours typically consisted of a helmet, shield, and single arm guard, perfectly conveying the presence of armour without being overly cumbersome to the wearer. A closely comparable but incomplete set of Qajar armour overlaid with silver and gold, consisting only of a helmet and shield, was sold at Sotheby’s London, 29 April 2026, lot 155.

More from Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds including Rugs and Carpets

View All