ISFAHAN, QAJAR IRAN, MID 19TH CENTURY

This watercolour painting closely resembles reverse glass paintings which have survived from mid-nineteenth century Qajar Isfahan. The painting has been glazed with a thin layer of glass, before being mounted in a slightly later gilt frame which has a strong architectural influence. Due to the difficulty of the reverse glass painting technique, it was common to have watercolours covered in glass and displayed either framed or placed within architectural elements in houses in Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran (Vernoit, 1997, p.143-44). For closely comparable pieces see Diba, 1999, nos.63a and b, pp.212-13.

The back of the frame bears an identification label from the owner which states that he purchased this painting in Isfahan in 1897, and initialled by Basil Gray from the British Museum who had mistakenly identified it as an example of reverse glass painting. The label is dated 2 July 1938.