*A PAIR OF QAJAR GOLD-DAMASCENED STEEL BOTTLES

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTION
Iran, second half 19th century, signed Hajji 'Abbas

Each of pyriform shape, with a bulbous body resting on a splayed circular foot, rising to a flared narrow neck with partly faceted ring, with an everted circular mouth, the dome-shaped stopper with spire finial, the full body damascened with elegant gold floral sprays, beaded and vegetal trellis bands, the mouth and stopper with arcades between gold decorative floral borders, each foot engraved 'Amal-e Hajji 'Abbas', each 39.1cm high.

Provenance: Christie's London, 13 October 1998, lot 338.

Hajji 'Abbas is the name or takhallos used by one of the great masters of Persian metalware, in particular of steel work. As a result, this name has often been improperly added on pieces which may or may not have been of an appropriate date but which were thought to be of better than average quality.

Indeed, James Allan identified the first and most influential Persian steel craftsman calling himself Hajji 'Abbas as the maker of the Safavid period kashkul in the Nuhad es-Said Collection (James W. Allan, Islamic Metalwork: The Nuhad es-Said Collection, London, 1982, no.26, pp.114-117). However, in the Hermitage museum, there are two examples of fine steel artworks (a kashkul and a peacock) dated to the second half of the 19th century and bearing the same name. Our bottles seem to share the same quality and signature of the Hermitage artworks and a mid to late 19th-century dating would appear more likely, given the style of their decorations.