FIVE DECORATED DÉCOUPAGE BORDERS FROM THE NASIR AL-DIN SHAH ALBUM
PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTION
Qajar Iran, c. 1888

Each of rectangular shape, the centre hollow once filled with an illustration or calligraphic composition in the style of muraqqa pages, the polychrome album borders decorated with découpaged, marbled, tooled, dyed and embossed paper heightened in gold and silver, each slightly different, two with pink grounds, the other three with blue grounds, each border intricately illuminated in gold, silver, and polychrome whimsical geometric designs and vegetal sprays, Roman numerals in pencil written on the top right corner of each border, each approximately 43.5cm x 29cm.

Another group of six similar borders attributed to the Nasir al-Din Shah Album, once part of the same private collection, was successfully sold in these Rooms, 22 July 2020, lot 112. Several more examples have been offered in the London auction market in the last ten years (Christie's London, 6 October 2011, lot 265 and 1 April 2021, lot 33; Christie's South Kensington, 26 April 2012, lot 219; and Sotheby's London, 9 October 2013, lot 5).

In terms of material, whimsical decorative style, use of bold colours, quality of découpage, and dimensions, our borders present a strong connection to the others mentioned above, leading to suggest that they also come from the now-dispersed album made for Nasir al-Din Shah (r. 1848 - 96) in 1888, believed to have been produced to mark the 40th anniversary of his accession to the throne.