A mid-20^th century Iranian (Persian) silver cigarette box, Isfahan circa 1950 signed Lahiji

Pahlavi dynasty, of rectangular form with a hinged lid with cavetto edge, all raised on four short bracket feet. The lid centred with a shaped cartouche with finely engraved ghalam zani decoration of a pastoral scene, depicting a woman milking a goat while the man sharpens a stick, a woman behind a tree in the foreground, tents and a mosque to the background. All reserved in deep chased monabbat-kari foliate forms and flower heads, edged with engraved arabesques and trailing vegetation. The sides with engraved peony vignettes interspaced with chased peony cartouches reserved with foliate forms. Marked underneath with standard mark (۸۴), and signature.

Length – 16.4 cm / 6.25 inches

Weight – 380 grams / 12.22 ozt

Lahiji was one of the most prominent and masterful (Ostad) engravers working in Isfahan in the middle of the 20th century.