TWO LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASES (QALAMDAN) WITH SCENIC VIEWS AND GOL-O-BOLBOL MOTIFS
Qajar Iran, 19th century

Each with rounded ends and sliding tray, polychrome-painted, heightened in gold, and lacquered, the decoration on both qalamdans arranged in horizontal order, the top and sides of each pen case painted with traditional compositions featuring the beloved topos of Persian literature, the rose and the nightingale (gol-o-bolbol), with plump birds perched next to lush blossomed roses and colourful flowers, large buds, and leafy branches, interspersed amidst medallions with idealised landscape views of river scenes, rural gatherings, and Europeanised white fort-like architectures, the qalamdan featuring the Mother and Child portrait on the top inscribed on the left Kamtarin Muhammad Baqir 12(00) AH (1785), the underside of the case with scrollwork of rosettes, lotus flowers, and serrated leaves in gold against a light brown ground, the latter pen case with a similar decoration on the underside and sides of the inner sliding tray on a black ground, the longest 22.8cm.