Lot Essay
The flap and the inside of the binding are finely painted with figural scenes, in the highest quality 17th century Safavid style. Whilst the flap could only have been on the inside due to its shape, the battered condition of the figural scenes on what are currently the doublures strongly suggest they might once have been on the exterior. Safavid figural lacquered bindings are rare indeed. A 16th century example is published in Berthe Van Regemorter, Some Oriental Bindings in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, 1961, MS 160, pl.33.