Qajar Mirror Case
Iran
A mirror case constructed along a vertical axis, the rectangular form surmounted by a shaped, lobed crest and organised through a hinged structure separating exterior panels from an interior compartment.
Description
The exterior is articulated through two hinged doors that together form a continuous painted scene: figures gathered within a wooded setting, some seated and some standing, exchanging vessels, bordered below by a band of calligraphic inscription. Each door’s interior face carries a separate reserve panel: one depicts a seated female nude figure against a gold ground, flanked by a suspended curtain; the other depicts a grouped figural scene. The interior compartment centres on a lobed mirror plate, framed by a floral-vine border on a dark ground; two painted bust portraits of a woman appear at the upper corners, flanking a calligraphic band, with a second calligraphic band beneath the mirror.
Surface is compact and stable. Lacquer and paint remain intact across the case; the mirror plate is retained, with clouding of the silvered surface.
Context
Mirror cases of this type function within Qajar domestic contexts.
Provenance
From the Felice Maffei Collection, acquired in Iran, 1968.
Details
- Title
- Qajar Mirror Case
- Culture
- Qajar
- Origin
- Iran
- Date
- 19th century
- Dimensions
- H 47.5 cm (18.7 in) · W 22.5 cm (8.9 in)
- Medium
- Wood, lacquer, paint, mirror
- Provenance
- From the Felice Maffei Collection, acquired in Iran, 1968.
- Condition
- Structure intact; surface stable; mirror silvering clouded.
