Pen Box with Floral Pattern

Islamic (Artist)

19th century (Qajar)

papier-mâché with paint, gilding, and varnished lacquer

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.

Exhibitions

2011	The Art of Writing Instruments from Paris to Persia.

Conservation

Date	Description	Narrative
	Examination	Examined
	Examination	Examined in preparation for exhibition.

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Geographies

Iran (Place of Origin)

Measurements

H: 1 7/16 × L: 9 5/16 × W: 1 9/16 in. (3.7 × 23.7 × 4 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.

67.5

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