PERSIA, LATE 17TH CENTURY

This is a slightly shorter version of a group of Safavid pierced steel inscription cartouches dating from the end of the seventeenth century. Four, in the Cairo Museum and formerly in the Harari Collection were said to be from the Dar-i-Imam in Isfahan (Pope, A.U.: A Survey of Persian Art, Oxford, 1938, pl.1389). Three more, said to be from the tomb of Shah Tahmasp in Shiraz, but which must date from later than 1576, were in the collection of Sir Charles Marling, one of which was given to the Victoria adn Albert Museum (The Arts of Islam, exhibition catalogue, London, 1976, no.234, p.199; The Unity of Islamic Art, exhibition catalogue, London and Riyadh, 1985, p.121). Three further panels from the same group were sold at Sotheby's, 16th October 1985, lot 218, and 16th April 1986, lots 181 and 182. One of the same conception but of cusped oval outline in the British Museum is dated AH 1105/1693-4 AD, which accords with the date of two years later on the panel very similar to that in lot 16 in this sale. Please see that lot and lot 63 in this sale for two other examples of different types within the group and the references to further comparable examples.