A QAJAR POLYCHROME LACQUER PAPIER MACHE MIRROR CASE of rectangular form with hinged cover, the hinges and clasp of gold, each buff face with dense flowering vine around a central cusped oval cartouche depicting a maiden in a landscape, arabesque and portrait cartouches above and below, the blue spandrels with scrolling vine, in a red border of scrolling vine around indigo cloudband cartouches alternating with green and gold quatrefoil roundels between gold meandering flowering vine stripes, the interior painted with an unusual scene of the Prophet Muhammad riding on Buraq accompanied by four peris, many peri heads faintly seen above, in a black border of leafy vine around indigo nasta'liq inscription cartouches alternating with flowerhead quatrefoils between flowering vine stripes, circa 1870 (negligible repairs, relacquered)

Details

A QAJAR POLYCHROME LACQUER PAPIER MACHE MIRROR CASE of rectangular form with hinged cover, the hinges and clasp of gold, each buff face with dense flowering vine around a central cusped oval cartouche depicting a maiden in a landscape, arabesque and portrait cartouches above and below, the blue spandrels with scrolling vine, in a red border of scrolling vine around indigo cloudband cartouches alternating with green and gold quatrefoil roundels between gold meandering flowering vine stripes, the interior painted with an unusual scene of the Prophet Muhammad riding on Buraq accompanied by four peris, many peri heads faintly seen above, in a black border of leafy vine around indigo nasta'liq inscription cartouches alternating with flowerhead quatrefoils between flowering vine stripes, circa 1870 (negligible repairs, relacquered)
8¼ x 5 5/8in. (21 x 14.3cm.)

Lot Essay

It is extremely unusual to find the religious scene on the interior of a mirror case. Far more common, as in lot .., is a relatively innocuous exterior with a less straight-laced interior. The combination on one object of the Prophet Muhammad with decolleté pretty maidens is also not to be expected.

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