Boxes19th century

Wafer Seal Case with Flowers, Hazelnuts, and Butterfly

c. 1875-1890

Artists

Muhammad Husayn ShiraziArtist

Description

Flat case with sliding lid and rounded ends. The top is in horizontal format with three panels containing birds, flowers, and hazelnuts. On the base a central panel contains a view of a town clustered at the edge of a bay, with mountains in the distance. To the left and right are floating bouquets.

Classification

Boxes

Medium

Opaque watercolor, gold-colored pigments, and lacquer on pasteboard

Period

Qajar period

Century

19th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art

Dimensions

1.5 × 2.8 × 13.5 cm (9/16 × 1 1/8 × 5 5/16 in.)

Provenance

Ezzat-Malek Soudavar, Geneva, Switzerland (by 2014), by descent; to her son Abolala Soudavar, Houston, Texas (2014), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2014. Note: Ezzat-Malek Soudavar (1913-2014) formed this collection over a period of sixty years. She purchased the works of art on the international art market.

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