BoxesPersian19th century

Snuff box with lovers discovered

mid-19th century

Description

This small box was likely intended to hold snuff. The exterior of the hinged lid is decorated with a scene of two young lovers embracing on a terrace. The foreground holds a sheathed dagger, a flintlock, and a tray with refreshments. Clean-shaven with light-colored eyes and dressed in a frock coat, the bare-footed male lover perhaps represents a European. The female lover is dressed in Qajar garments, including an aigrette in her hair, a jacket with turned-back cuffs, and a short flaring skirt of the type that became popular in Iran in the later 19th century, following Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar’s travels in Europe. The young woman glances rightward, in the direction of a frowning older man, presumably her husband. Sporting a prominent mustache and a Qajar hat, he leans into the terrace from outdoors. An elderly woman in headscarf appears at the left, partially hidden by two large cushions. Her finger is raised to her mouth in the conventional gesture of wonder or dismay. The vignette is framed by gold scrollwork and bordered by floating bouquets.

Classification

Boxes

Medium

Watercolor, gold-colored pigments, and lacquer over brass layer on pasteboard

Culture

Persian

Period

Qajar period

Century

19th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art

Dimensions

2.4 × 6.4 × 9.2 cm (15/16 × 2 1/2 × 3 5/8 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.

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