A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ QALAMDAN WITH BAHRAM AND THE SEVEN PRINCESSES
Qajar Iran, 19th century

With rounded ends and sliding tray, the horizontally-arranged curved top and sides with seven scenes of leisure depicting Bahram in the seven pavilions, the top with calligraphic ovals from Nizami’s Haft Peykar, chapter 25, describing Bahram’s winter bazm (private banquet), each depicting the crowned youth, semi-reclined and dallying with a louche princess in an interior, with food and drink and music, the scenes interspersed with tronies of courtly beauties, against a black ground in-filled with gold scrolling foliage, the base similar, the inner sides in red, painted with floral scrolls in gold, the inner base in red, the interior in black, 22.5cm x 4cm x 3.6cm.