A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ MIRROR CASE WITH RENOWNED FEMALE LITERARY SUBJECTS
Iran, dated 1208 AH (1793)

Of typical rectangular shape, the mirror case painted in polychromes, heightened in gold, and lacquered, each panel of the front and back covers decorated with renowned Persian literary scenes including Zulaikha and her maidens struck by Yusuf's beauty and cutting their fingers whilst peeling oranges; Sheikh San'an declaring his love to the Christian Maiden; and a weighing ceremony at the court of the Queen of Sheba, also known as Belqis in Quranic sources and commentaries, possibly a reference to the literary episode in which the Queen sends gold boulders to King Solomon as a sign of prestige, the back cover inscribed Raqm-e Nurallah Musavvir Hamadani 1208 AH (1793) in black, the two interior scenes at the front and back framed within golden floral borders against a black ground, 25.4cm x 17.5cm.

The female subjects' selection on each panel of this case seems to indicate it was possibly commissioned by or produced as a gift to a distinguished woman. Every illustration features a well-known literary example of a strong-willed, opinionated, and tenacious female character (Zulaikha, the Christian Maiden, and the Queen of Sheba). Although in Persian literature, these models were often viewed in a less positive light than other heroines like Shirin, Leyla, Azadeh, and Maryam, they distinguished themselves for their strong personalities and their gradual evolution in the path of enlightenment (and taming of their characters). The mirror case could therefore be interpreted as a celebration of strong women characters and their progressive transformation through time.