A mid-20^th century Iranian (Persian) silver vase, Isfahan circa 1940 mark of Ja’fari

Pahlavi dynasty, of tapering form with a rounded shoulder leading to a short neck with caulked moulded rim. The body with chased monabbat-kari decoration of three gazelles below a stylised peony with a nightingale, all within a shaped cartouche, the obverse with a scene of three McQueen's Bustards with the same peony and cartouche. The body also with shaped panels of arabesques and floral sprays heightened with engraved ghalam zani decoration including birds’ heads, all against a plain ground, otherwise all reserved with floral decoration below a scalloped plain band with a rosette border. Marked underneath with mark جعفری and standard mark (۸۴).

Height – 23.5 cm / 9.25 inches

Weight – 989 grams / 31.8 ozt

A circular tray marked for Ja’fari is in the Kronfol collection, National Museum of Scotland, which was gathered between 1920-47, (no V.2015.62).

Two types of mark are known for Ja'fari, this mark which is the same as in the Kronfol collection appears to be the earlier, whereas the second mark appears in combination with other workshop marks suggesting that Ja'fari operated as a retailer as well.