A REVERSE GLASS POLYCHROME-PAINTED PANEL WITH A QAJAR COUPLE
Iran, 20th century

Opaque pigments, polychrome enamels, and white wash heightened with gold on glass, the vertical composition depicting a beloved and recurrent topos in Qajar art, a courtly couple entwined in a tender embrace, the heavily bejewelled maiden holding a rosette-shaped brooch on her chest, staring back at the beholder, her male counterpart clad in an official military red uniform and displaying a French bicorn hat typical of the Napoleonic era, testifying to the strong influence Western fashion attires had on the Qajars, the reverse glass painted panel set on a raised wooden frame with further painted glass inserts on the sides, hammered copper mounts with palmette scrolls on the edges, and floral blossoms on each corner, surmounted by a lobed decorative triumph in European style with acanthus leaves and vegetal volutes, 51cm x 26.5cm.