A QAJAR GOLD QALYAN CUP ENCRUSTED WITH TURQUOISE, SPINELS AND GLASS BEADS
Qajar Iran, early to mid 19th century

Of typical flaring conical shape, with a gently everted rim, resting on a later-added base with three bulbous feet, the exterior fully encrusted with cabouchon-cut turquoise beads, small rubies by the base and more coloured stones and glass beads around the centre and rim laid out as alternating rosette and starburst medallions, smaller rosettes filling the negative spaces, rim and base, the golden interior chased in high relief by the exterior setting, 7.5cm diam. and 6.8cm high, 80gr.

Zarf holders and qalyan cups identical to this are to be found in the Persian Crown Jewels collection (V. B. Meen and A. D. Tushingham, Crown Jewels of Iran, 1968, p. 99). Turquoises have always been common and favoured stones in Iran, but especially during the Qajar period, craftsmen started using them more and more to encrust and embellish courtly objects. A similar turquoise-set gold qalyan cup, once part of the same private European collection, was successfully sold in our Rooms, 26 October 2018, lot 167.