A SMALL URN-SHAPED REPOUSSÉ SILVER VASE
Shiraz, Iran, 20th century

Of elongated urn-like shape, resting on a ringed stem on a splayed stepped circular foot, rising to a flared neck with an everted circular rim, the exterior fully worked with bands of repoussé figural decoration including scenes of rural daily activities and stylised replicas of Achaemenid stone carvings from Persepolis and the Fars region, interspersed with flower stems, birds, animals and horizontal zig-zag bands, 19cm high, weighs 234g.

The figural decoration on the exterior of the body illustrates several scenes reminiscent of Persia's glorious past, very much in line with the artistic tradition of Achaemenid stone reliefs from Shiraz and the Fars region like the panels portraying the Battle of Shahriar and the Lion, and the Foreign Ambassadors at Persepolis. These stone reliefs provided a great source of inspiration to both Qajar and Pahlavi silversmiths active in Shiraz throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, creating a direct visual link to Persia's Pre-Islamic past and its great rulers.