Pen box with medallions on floral ground

Artists

Description

Oblong pen box consisting of a cover and sliding compartment with rounded ends. The top bears three lobed medallions and two pendants, all outlined in gold. These are set against a reddish ground beautifully decorated with symmetrical designs of small flowers and leaves. The three medallions hold vignettes of birds perched on the branches of flowering prunus plants set against a black background. The artist's name Zayn al-ʿAbidin and the date 1270 H. (1853-1854) are written on the prunus trunks. Symmetrical floral compositions fill the pendants. The sides and ends bear horizontal segments filled with floral scrolls against a red background. These alternate with smaller segments with iris and poppies set against a dark brown background. The base is decorated with fine gold scrollwork on dark brown background.

Dimensions

3.8 × 3.9 × 22.4 cm (1 1/2 × 1 9/16 × 8 13/16 in.)

Provenance

Kazem R. Kooros, Houston, Texas (by 1969), gift; to his son Saeed Kouros, Houston, Texas (by 1979), gift; to the Harvard Art Museums, 2018.