A LARGE ILLUMINATED MARRIAGE CONTRACT
Qajar Iran, dated 1307 AH (1890 AD)

Persian and Arabic manuscript on paper, painted in blue, red, and yellow, and heightened with gold, decorated with lobed cartouches and gold foliate meanders, the Arabic words in naskh script, the Persian in shikasteh nasta’liq script, the heading opening with the bismillah and following with ‘He who turns hearts to one another’ in rectangular cartouches, the marriage contract between Khan Baba Khan and Humayun Khanom, daughter of Aqa Mohammad Hossein Beg Ardaki, for the dowry of 'ten Nasir al-Din Shahi treasury toomans, twelve mithqals (4.7gr) of worked gold valued at twelve toomans, twelve mann (three kilos) of tray-ware (copper vessels), one set of carpeting, and one set of bedding valued at ten toomans, a total of forty-eight toomans', dated 6 Jamadi ul-Thani 1307 AH (27 January 1890 AD), the field and margins with a number of seals and signatures, some dated 1308 AH, the inner vertical borders stamped in black with scrolling floral frieze, mounted, framed and glazed, the document 70.5cm x 50cm, 75.5cm x 55cm including the frame.