A QAJAR CARVED FRUITWOOD QALAMDAN (PEN CASE) Abadeh, Iran, 19th century With rounded ends and sliding tray, the horizontal-format decorative clusters on the lid and base showcasing beloved Qajar topoi such as lions attacking spotted dragons, oval medallions with Qajar youths, large floral roundels, and in the centre of the lid a scene from Nizami Ganjavi's Khosrow o Shirin (Khamseh) epic romance, the Armenian princess Shirin being spied by the prince Persian Khosrow whilst bathing, the inner tray plain, the underside with a grid of incised trefoils, 21cm long.

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