Pen box, Iran, Isfahan, 1847
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1847
Pen box in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number 763-1876), made in Iran, Isfahan, dated 1847, attributed to Isfahani, Muhammad Isma'il. The museum's brief description reads: Penbox, painted and lacquered pasteboard, Iran (probably Isfahan), Qajar period, 1847.
Made by Muhammad Isma'il Isfahani. Museum description: Pasteboard penbox with a painted and lacquered depiction of twenty-six courtiers surrounding the figure of Manuchihr Khan (d. 1847), the Qajar governor of Isfahan. Manuchihr Khan, beardless, is shown seated on a rug before a window, in full regalia and with medals, with one hand upon a sword and the other holding his sash. Many of the couriters are named by inscription; they as well as Manuchihr Khan wear astrakhan hats and are shown in long tunics.
The sides of the penbox depict traditional hunting scenes; the base is decorated with rinceaux in yellow on a red ground. The museum records it as Pasteboard, painted and lacquered, measuring Length 25 cm; Width 5 cm; Height 4 cm. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
As its name suggests, the pen box qalamdān was a container for reed pens qalam and other writing implements. These usually included a small metal inkwell, which contained both ink and the floss called liqah which absorbed the ink and prevented it from spilling. Other scribe’s tools kept in penboxes were a penknife for cutting pens on a small board qaṭ‘zan, made from substances such as horn; a small spoon for adding ink; a pair of scissors for cutting paper; and a whetstone for sharpening the penknife and the scissors. The ability to write held prestige in a society where literacy was limited, and the pen box was therefore a mark of a person of some standing. The quality and content of the pen box’s decoration reflected the status of the owner more precisely. Lacquer pen boxes, with painted and varnished decoration on a base of pasteboard (also called papier mâché), came into use in the seventeenth century. The earliest dated example was made in Isfahan for Shah Sulayman Safavi (reigned 1664-1695), and by the nineteenth century huge numbers were being made with an enormous variety of decoration. The top of this pen box shows a beardless official holding court. He was Manuchihr Khan, also known as Mu‘tamad al-Dawlah (d. 1847), a Georgian eunuch who rose to be one of the most powerful men in Iran. In 1839 and 1840 he was resident in Isfahan, and from this time on lacquer wares depicting his deeds were painted by the city’s leading painter, Muhammad Isma‘il.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- pasteboard
- Dimensions
- Length 25 cm; Width 5 cm; Height 4 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Pasteboard, painted and lacquered
- Maker recorded
- Isfahani, Muhammad Isma'il
- Place recorded
- Iran, Isfahan
Identification
- Museum object name
- Pen box
- Museum object number
- 763-1876
- Museum system number
- O53755
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.