Deux plats de reliure qâjâr

Iran, circa 1880 Lacquered papier-mâché dishes with polychrome decoration enhanced with gold, decorated with a battle scene with a legend, framed by cartouches inscribed in white "nasta'liq" on a spiral arabesque background. The Persian army is commanded by Shah Isma'il wearing a chain mail. The profusion of details both in the armament and in the harnessing of the horses testifies to a realistic concern. 20.5 x 33 cm A pair of Qajar lacquered flaps, Iran, circa 1880 Each of rectangular form with a detailed depiction of the battle of Chaldiran, Shah Isma'il identified with small inscriptions in white nasta'liq. Inscriptions : Sardar-e Rum: Officer of the Rums (Ottomans) Shah Isma'il Gholâm Inspired by the frescoes in the banquet hall of the Chehel Sotun Palace in Isfahan, these dishes celebrate the bravery of the rulers of the Safavid dynasty. Here, it is the Battle of Chaldiran that is depicted, which saw the defeat of the founder of the Safavid dynasty, Shah Ismail I (r.1501-1524), by the Ottomans of Selim I (r.1512-1521) equipped with cannon. The subject of these dishes suggests that they were intended for a Shahnameh, Book of Kings, telling the mythical epic of Persia. Public sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, in the years 1960-65. Labels on the back of lot numbers 13 and 14. For a similar work, see A. Tokatlian, "Persian Treasures in Yerevan, Ghent, 2013, pp. 124-128