Persian Figural Plate
Isfahan, Iran
A plate constructed along a vertical axis, the surface organised through a central figural scene enclosed within concentric registers.
Description
The engraved field depicts four figures beneath a flowering tree: two standing figures reach toward a bird perched among the branches, while two seated figures below exchange a bowl of fruit, surrounded by vessels set on the ground. A dense vegetal surround forms an intermediate register between the central scene and the outer border. The border is organised in alternating lobed reserves, containing in turn an engraved animal — a lion, a deer, or a rabbit — and an architectural scene of walled buildings and domed pavilions.
Surface is compact and stable. Patina is retained across the central scene and vegetal surround; the copper ground is exposed within each lobed border reserve, creating a strong material contrast. Engraving remains intact.
Context
Plates of this type function within Persian domestic and ceremonial contexts.
Provenance
From the Felice Maffei Collection, acquired in Iran, 1968.
Details
- Title
- Persian Figural Plate
- Culture
- Persian
- Origin
- Isfahan, Iran
- Date
- 19th century
- Dimensions
- D 43 cm (16.9 in)
- Medium
- Copper, engraved and patinated
- Provenance
- From the Felice Maffei Collection, acquired in Iran, 1968.
- Condition
- Patina retained at surround and central scene; copper exposed at border reserves; engraving intact.
