Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Pen Box with Battle and Lion-Hunt Scenes
(Islamic World )
This pen box (qalamdan) by one of the leading artists of Qajar Persia (1785-1925) was either given to or commissioned by an Iranian official. It is inscribed: "For the blessed one, his gracious excellency, the most glorious, the most generous, the orderer of the royal register, may his glory endure." The presentation of qalamdans was part of court ritual, and political officials were often depicted with their pen boxes in royal portraits.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Acquired by Henry Walters, Baltimore; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
Exhibitions
| 2015-2016 | Pearls on a String: Artists, Patrons, and Poets at the Great Islamic Courts. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; Asian Art Museum, San Francisco. |
| 2011 | The Art of Writing Instruments from Paris to Persia. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| Examination | Examined in preparation for exhibition. | |
| Treatment | Repaired in preparation for exhibition. | |
| Examination | Examined | |
| Treatment | Repaired |
Geographies
Iran (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 1 9/16 × L: 9 1/16 × W: 1 1/2 in. (3.9 × 23 × 3.8 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
67.8