Important Notice

ISFAHAN, IRAN, CIRCA 1930
Handspun and handwoven cotton, hand drawn and painted, natural dyes
59 x 95.5 in (150 x 243 cm)


A man, probably a courtier or even a king, reclines on a pair of green bolsters as he is entertained by a group of young women. Singing and dancing, playing musical instruments, the women are dressed in long skirts with short, long-sleeved, fitted blouses and long belts that accentuate their slender waistlines. The young man is dressed in a long robe painted with botehs and decorated with ornate buttons. On his head, he wears a striped turban. In his left hand he holds a slim, black walking stick and in his right, a wine glass. The other man to the left, whose features make him look older, is possibly his retainer; his tunic is shorter and is not decorated.

The scene is probably one of an outdoor picnic, a popular pastime in Iran, and suggested by the background in the upper register with its mountains, plants, and a single tree in the centre. A lone building on the right of the tree, perhaps the young man's residence hints at a stately home or a palace, referencing his status.

Enclosed by three borders of flowers scrolling off a single vine, the present lot has a three-dimensional feel to it. The voluminous curtains on either side of the tree, at the top, make it reminiscent of a theatrical scene. While figurative pictorial scenes were prevalent in Iran, not that many are known today outside public collections.

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