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Lot Essay
One of these panels was produced in 1315 (AD 1897-8) for Qa'im Maqam, in which Zarrin Qalam describes himself as 'the crown of poets' and 'the eulogist of His Majesty'. This is his latest recorded work. The name Qa'im Maqam is the main inscription. The scribe has demonstrated his skill in different styles by copying quotations from the Qur'an, religious and Persian inscriptions, including a quatrain in which he praises his own calligraphy and his poetry.
Qa'im Maqam is Mirza 'Abd al-Rahim Sa'id al-Mulk, one of the sayyids from Azerbaidjan. He started his career as an Aide-de-camp in the Foreign Ministry in 1847-48 to be promoted to the first secretary at the Persian Embassy in Istanbul and was given the title Khan in 1854-55. After having been posted to Tiflis and St Petersburg, he was titled Sa'id al-Mulk in 1871-72 and accompanied Nasir al-Din Shah on both his trips to Europe. He was titled Qa'im Maqam in 1891-92 appointed the steward to the Prince in Azerbaidjan. After the murder of Nasir al-Din Shah in 1895-96, he accompanied Muzaffar al-Din Shah to Tehran and became one of the high officials at his court. He was made Minister of Pension and Endowment in 1898 and died in Tehran in 1901-02 (M.Bamdad, Dictionary of National Biography of Iran, 1700-1900, vol. 5, Tehran, 1966, pp. 142-6.
The other, which is more modest than the first was produced for Vakil al-Dawla, whose rank is lower than Qa'im Maqam. He is mentioned in the events of the year 1896-97 as Mirza Muhammad Khan, First secretary of the divan, the regent and steward for the affairs of Azerbaidjan, Kirmanshah, Hamadan, Malayer, Nahavand and Tuyserkan who had been in Tehran since the Nasir al-Din shah period dealing with matters of Azerbaidjan who was recently made the Minister for Azerbaidjan and was honoured with the title Vakil al-Dawla. He reads all petitions and letters for the king (Muzaffar al-Din Shah) and writes down the King's reply every day. In the year 1898-99 he was honoured with a diamond ring (Gh. Afzal al-Mulk, Afzal al-Tavarikh, ed. by M. Ettehadiyeh & S. Sa'dvandian, Tehran, 1361 sh., pp. 92, 191 & 366.
Despite his title, nothing is recorded about Hasan Zarrin Qalam other than his other similar works dated between 1883-84 and 1896-97 in which he has signed as born at the court and the eulogist of both Nasir al-Din Shah and Muzaffar al-Din Shah. He was clearly competent in different styles and decorative writing and was familiar with the art of painting with which he filled his large writings (Mehdi Bayani, ahval va asar-e khosh-nevisan, vol. I, Teheran, 1345 sh., pp. 141-2. He specialised, as here, in eulogies about the recipients of his work. Other examples of his work can be found in the Khalili Collection (Stephen Vernoit, Occidentalism. Islamic Art in the 19th Century, London, 1997, No. 68, p. 122), and Y.H.Safadi, Islamic Calligraphy, London 1978, No. 124, p. 110. Further examples have also been at Christie's, King street, 16 October 2001, lot 67 and 68 and 1 May 2001, lot 76.
Qa'im Maqam is Mirza 'Abd al-Rahim Sa'id al-Mulk, one of the sayyids from Azerbaidjan. He started his career as an Aide-de-camp in the Foreign Ministry in 1847-48 to be promoted to the first secretary at the Persian Embassy in Istanbul and was given the title Khan in 1854-55. After having been posted to Tiflis and St Petersburg, he was titled Sa'id al-Mulk in 1871-72 and accompanied Nasir al-Din Shah on both his trips to Europe. He was titled Qa'im Maqam in 1891-92 appointed the steward to the Prince in Azerbaidjan. After the murder of Nasir al-Din Shah in 1895-96, he accompanied Muzaffar al-Din Shah to Tehran and became one of the high officials at his court. He was made Minister of Pension and Endowment in 1898 and died in Tehran in 1901-02 (M.Bamdad, Dictionary of National Biography of Iran, 1700-1900, vol. 5, Tehran, 1966, pp. 142-6.
The other, which is more modest than the first was produced for Vakil al-Dawla, whose rank is lower than Qa'im Maqam. He is mentioned in the events of the year 1896-97 as Mirza Muhammad Khan, First secretary of the divan, the regent and steward for the affairs of Azerbaidjan, Kirmanshah, Hamadan, Malayer, Nahavand and Tuyserkan who had been in Tehran since the Nasir al-Din shah period dealing with matters of Azerbaidjan who was recently made the Minister for Azerbaidjan and was honoured with the title Vakil al-Dawla. He reads all petitions and letters for the king (Muzaffar al-Din Shah) and writes down the King's reply every day. In the year 1898-99 he was honoured with a diamond ring (Gh. Afzal al-Mulk, Afzal al-Tavarikh, ed. by M. Ettehadiyeh & S. Sa'dvandian, Tehran, 1361 sh., pp. 92, 191 & 366.
Despite his title, nothing is recorded about Hasan Zarrin Qalam other than his other similar works dated between 1883-84 and 1896-97 in which he has signed as born at the court and the eulogist of both Nasir al-Din Shah and Muzaffar al-Din Shah. He was clearly competent in different styles and decorative writing and was familiar with the art of painting with which he filled his large writings (Mehdi Bayani, ahval va asar-e khosh-nevisan, vol. I, Teheran, 1345 sh., pp. 141-2. He specialised, as here, in eulogies about the recipients of his work. Other examples of his work can be found in the Khalili Collection (Stephen Vernoit, Occidentalism. Islamic Art in the 19th Century, London, 1997, No. 68, p. 122), and Y.H.Safadi, Islamic Calligraphy, London 1978, No. 124, p. 110. Further examples have also been at Christie's, King street, 16 October 2001, lot 67 and 68 and 1 May 2001, lot 76.