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Elliptical pen box with gold arabesques on a dark base.

This pen box is long and thin with rounded ends. A band with golden arabesques borders the box, and on the right side there is a horseshoe-shaped separation in the band where the lid slides out. In this horseshoe portion, the arabesques are not encapsulated with two thin gold lines like in the rest of the border. In the main body of decoration, the vegetal and floral arabesques are on a dark background. As it is mostly executed in silhouettes with limited detailing, the contrast with the dark background makes the gold a bright and dominating element.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
2014.366
Title
Pen box with gold arabesque
Classification
Artists' Tools
Work Type
pen box
Date
19th century
Places
Creation Place: Middle East, Iran
Period
Qajar period
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/351878

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Steel overlaid with gold on top and sides, silver on base
Dimensions
2.6 × 2.9 × 21.2 cm (1 × 1 1/8 × 8 3/8 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Ezzat-Malek Soudavar, Geneva, Switzerland (by 2014), by descent; to her son Abolala Soudavar, Houston, Texas (2014), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2014.

Note:
Ezzat-Malek Soudavar (1913-2014) formed this collection over a period of sixty years. She purchased the works of art on the international art market.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of A. Soudavar in memory of his mother Ezzat-Malek Soudavar
Accession Year
2014
Object Number
2014.366
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Descriptions

Description
Cover and sliding compartment with rounded ends. The top and sides are covered by an arabesque overlaid in gold on a dark steel ground. On the base, the arabesque is overlaid in silver.

Related Works

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu