A POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED SILVER QALYAN CUP WITH QAJAR YOUTHS PORTRAITS Iran, 19th century

A POLYCHROME-PAINTED ENAMELLED SILVER QALYAN CUP WITH QAJAR YOUTHS PORTRAITS Iran, 19th century Of typical flaring cylindrical shape, with a wide everted rim, the exterior painted in polychrome enamels and gold, the decoration consisting of three oval figural portraits including a Qajar gentleman wearing a Western black hat with pink feathers, his coat, white handkerchief and shirt inspired by 18th-century French fashion standards, holding a book in his hand as a symbol of his knowledge and education; a Qajar maiden holding a drinking cup and showing off her cleavage, identifying her as the subject of desire; and a young Qajar prince, with a dreamy expression, holding a peach and a small bouquet of roses, possibly the three portraits referring to an amorous triangle, all set against alternating diagonal bands of colourful flowerheads against white ground and gold rosette sprays against cobalt blue ground, the interior covered by a brass cup, mounted on a silver base engraved with foliage and with drop-shaped charms, 8.1cm diam. and 10.8cm high including the base. Provenance: Sotheby's London, 15 October 1998, lot 183.Click here to share: