PICTORIAL KALAMKARI WITH MUSICIANS AND DANCERS
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.
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.
Lot
60
of
82
WOVEN TREASURES: TEXTILES FROM THE JASLEEN DHAMIJA COLLECTION
19-20 OCTOBER 2016
Estimate
Rs 4,00,000 - 5,00,000
$6,065 - 7,580
Winning Bid
Rs 4,01,544
$6,084
(Inclusive of Buyer's Premium)
Pictorial Kalamkari