Rare Qajar Lacquered Qalamdan With Figural Scenes, Iran, Late 18th Century

Calame box (or sliding pencil box called
qalamdan
) oblong in shape with rounded ends in cardboard paste painted under lacquer varnish. The top of the lid presents a rich polychrome figurative decoration of European inspiration, featuring a series of female figures (probably allegories or courtesans) draped in dresses in bright colors (blue, red, pink), reclining in wooded landscapes, alternating with two medallions in oval cartridges housing bust portraits. The sides of the box are also decorated with small animated scenes and portraits in medallions on a dark background, while the interior of the sliding drawer is lacquered in a solid red and green color.
Iran. Qajar art, late 18th century or very early 19th century (around 1799).
Length: 23.5 cm
Traces of wear due to age.
The
qalamdan
is the essential accessory of the class of scholars and scribes (
mirza
) in Persia, intended to contain calames (reeds for writing), the penknife, the scraper and the inkwell. Under the Qajar dynasty, the art of lacquer reached heights of technical refinement through the papier-mâché technique covered with thin layers of protective varnish based on sandaraque resin. This period is characterized by a strong influence of Western iconography (style
Farangi-sazi
): Persian artists reinterpret imported European prints and paintings, introducing round faces with softened features, Western drapery and landscape perspectives that coexist in fascinating ways with traditional Islamic techniques and formats.
Our object is part of the lineage of Islamic art objects and master pieces from Qajar Iran, offering a captivating example of the aesthetic dialogue between East and West at the turn of the 19th century.