A QAJAR LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ MIRROR CASE, PERSIA, 19TH CENTURY

Of rectangular form, with hinged lid and clasp, depicting scenes of the Holy Family attended by elderly men and angels, the inside cover with a terrace scene depicting a teacher with princely students and servants, mirror to interior.
15.5 by 23.5 cm

Attributed to Shah Najaf Shah Najaf is considered the most celebrated lacquer master of the mid-19th century and founded a dynasty of artists who worked on lacquer until the end of the Qajar period. His name was Najaf Ali or Aga Najaf but he signed his work with the invocation Ya Shah-i Najaf ('O King of Najaf'). He flourished between 1810 and 1860 and often depicted Christian scenes such as the Holy Family on his lacquer pieces. Although this mirror case is not signed, it can be securely attributed to the master and can be compared to another mirror case in the Nasser D. Khalili Collection (LAQ44). Nasser D. Khalili, B.W.Robinson and Tim Stanley, Lacquer of The Islamic Lands, Part Two, London, 1997, no. 233.