FIVE CANTON FAMILLE ROSE BOWLS AND DISHES MADE FOR ZILL-I SULTAN

CHINA, DATED 1879-80 AD

Details

FIVE CANTON FAMILLE ROSE BOWLS AND DISHES MADE FOR ZILL-I SULTAN
CHINA, DATED 1879-80 AD
Comprising two hemispherical bowls with associated shallow rounded dishes, each of the four vessels painted with dense floral designs on a gold ground around bands of four white cusped panels containing similar plum blossom sprays with perching birds and butterflies, one place with an inscription roundel in gold nasta'liq, two inscriptions rubbed, together with a similar larger dish, the blue ground with floral motifs around pictorial cartouches and a central inscription roundel, this dish with repaired clean breaks
largest dish 9 7/8in. (25.1cm.) diam. (5)

Lot Essay

The inscription roundels on all five pieces are identical and read: Farmayesh-i hasrat as'ad amjad arfa' ashraf wala sultan Mas'ud amirzadeh amin al-dowlat Zill-i Sultan ("made to the order of his excellency, the fortunate, the excellent, the highest, a noble kinsman of the Sultan Mas'ud, prince, Amin al-Dawla, Zill-i Sultan")

Zill-i Sultan was the eldest son on Nasr al-Din Shah who held the post of governor of Isfahan with notorious ruthlessness.

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