* A PORCELAIN WATER PIPE (QALYAN) BOTTLE AND STEM CUP WITH PORTRAIT OF MUZAFFAR AL-DIN SHAH QAJAR
PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE EUROPEAN COLLECTOR
Possibly France and Iran, late 19th century

Comprising a typical bell-shaped water pipe base, resting on a circular foot and rising to a tapering ringed neck, with a reinforced rim, the white porcelain body painted in dark blue, gold and polychromes, the decoration consisting of a band of two gilt-framed oval roundels with Muzaffar al-Din Shah Qajar's portraits, one in his military attire, the latter in his ceremonial robe, interspersed with stylised gilt flower heads and Western-inspired polychrome floral festoons, further festoons on the neck, with a similarly decorated stem cup to hold the brazier, two further medallions with the ruler's portraits, the bottle 27cm high, the stemp cup 15.5cm high.