BY 'ALI ASHRAF OR A CLOSE FOLLOWER, IRAN, MID 18TH CENTURY

Details

A ZAND POLYCHROME LACQUER PAPIER MACHE VANITY CASE WITH MIRROR
BY 'ALI ASHRAF OR A CLOSE FOLLOWER, IRAN, MID 18TH CENTURY
Of rectangular form with hinged cover and sliding drawer, the drawer fitted with compartments for various instruments now all missing, the front and back painted with dense fine gul-o bulbul designs of flowers and perching birds on a black ground, in a narrow red border of gold scrolling designs, the maroon sides with polychrome continuous floral sprays, gold hinges, clasp and drawer pull each decorated with black inlaid designs and with small inset turquoises, the clasp in the form of a fish, slight damages and retouching to extremities, relacquered
8¼ x 5 5/8in. (20.8 x 14.4cm.)

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.

Lot Essay

A similar vanity case with fitted lower drawer for instruments signed by 'Ali Ashraf and dated 1147/1734-5 AD was sold in these Rooms 15 October 1996, lot 210. An octagonal mirror case sighed by him and dated 1165/1751 in the Brooklyn Museumalso has very similar designs (Maryam Ekhtiar: "Muhammad Isma'il Isfahani: Master Lacquer painter", in Sheila Blair (ed.): Persian Masters, five centuries of painting, Bombay, 1990, pl.1, pp.190-1). All have very similar renderings of gul-o-bulbul designs on the exterior. The interior of the present vanity case is more unusual for the period than that one in that it has a large figural scene on the interior.

The clasps are particularly fine on this vanity case, being of turquoise inset gold and considerably finer worked than is normally encountered. The clasp in the form of a fish is a delightful conceit.

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