Located in Moreno Valley, CA
An exceptional Persian Qajar lacquer papier-mâché photograph or picture album, richly hand-painted with miniature figural scenes, animals, floral arabesques and extensive gold-heightened decoration.
Measuring an impressive 17 inches wide × 9 inches high × 1.5 inches deep, this elaborate album was conceived as much as a decorative work of Persian art as a functional repository for photographs, drawings or personal mementos.
The front cover is extraordinarily detailed. A richly ornamented rectangular composition is organized around a central cartouche depicting an architectural court or garden scene populated by figures in period dress. The miniature portrays an intimate gathering within a Persian architectural setting, surrounded by attendants or musicians, evoking the courtly imagery frequently encountered in Qajar-period painting.
The central scene is surrounded by an exceptionally dense field of scrolling floral arabesques, blossoms and foliage, executed in jewel-like colors against a dark ground. Additional figural and animal vignettes appear throughout the composition, including hunting imagery and animals, integrating narrative elements into the elaborate ornamental surface.
Wide borders frame the central composition with further floral and foliate decoration in red, gold, green, black and warm ochre tones. The intricate layering of borders, medallions and miniature scenes gives the cover the visual richness associated with fine Persian lacquer work.
The reverse cover is also individually hand-painted with a different composition, making both sides of the album works of art in their own right rather than repeating the same decorative scheme.
The painted decoration is executed over a traditional papier-mâché foundation with a lacquered surface, a technique with a distinguished history in Persian decorative arts. Successive layers of painting, delicate line work and gold-colored highlights create remarkable depth and precision beneath the glossy protective finish.
The album retains its distinctive red spine and braided cord binding, adding another attractive handcrafted element to the presentation. Inside are 14 pages, providing an intriguing glimpse into the object's original function as a private album or scrapbook.
Dating to the late Qajar period, circa 1890–1910, this substantial Persian album combines elaborately hand-painted lacquered papier-mâché covers with patterned paper album leaves intended for photographs, drawings or personal mementos.
Dating to the late Qajar period, the album reflects the extraordinary intersection of Persian miniature painting, manuscript illumination and lacquer decoration. Such objects were intended for intimate handling and viewing, allowing the extraordinary detail of the miniature painting to be appreciated at close range.
Today, it would make a compelling addition to a collection of Persian art, Qajar painting...
Category
Early 20th Century Unknown Moorish Painted Decorative Objects
