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Pen Box with Battle Scenes

Islamic (Artist)

19th century (Qajar)

papier mâché with paint, gilding, and varnished lacquer
(Islamic World )

This form of pen box, with a drawer-like compartment that slides out to reveal its contents, was invented around the middle of the 17th century. Its ingenuity lies in the fact that it can be held closed without chains or a lock. The mouth of the sliding compartment was often elaborately carved to fit exactly into the body of the case, so that in Persian it is referred to as the qufl, or lock. The medium of this form was commonly papier mâché (pasteboard) on wooden or iron molds, although sometimes pen boxes were also produced in ivory.

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 and repaired in preparation for exhibition
	Examination	Examined

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Geographies

Iran (Place of Origin)

Measurements

H: 1 5/8 × L: 9 9/16 × W: 1 5/8 in. (4.2 × 24.3 × 4.2 cm)

Credit Line

Acquired by Henry Walters

Location in Museum

Not on view

Accession Number

In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.

67.2

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Base of Pen Box with Battle Scenes

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Pen Box with Battle Scenes