{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O55179"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O55179/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JF6408/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JF6408/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2016JF6408","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JF6411","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JF6409","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JF6412","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JF6413","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JF6414","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JF6415","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JF6410","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KJ7250","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KJ7203","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O55179/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O55179","accessionNumber":"761:1-1876","objectType":"Pen box (qalamdan)","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"From the fifteenth century onward, lacquer objects – including book bindings, pen cases, boxes, Qur’an stands, and mirrors such as this one – gained popularity in Iran, peaking in production during the nineteenth century, with the Qajar dynasty (1797-1924).  The vast increase in production across a variety of objects resulted in a considerable decline in quality; however, fine specimens continued to be done by certain artists in the cities of Shiraz, Isfahan, and Tehran. Much lacquerware during the Qajar period was also influenced by the increasing import of European artefacts, resulting in a distinctive Europeanization of designs and motifs.  Lacquer production continued in Iran until 1924, when the Qajar dynasty was overthrown, after which point its production became determinably unfashionable. \n\r\nWriting in the early nineteenth century, Sir William Ouseley, a Persian scholar and secretary to his brother, George III’s ambassador to the court of Fath Ali Shah (ruled 1797-1834), Sir Gore Ouseley, wrote: “At Ispahan the covers of the books are ornamented in a style particularly rich; and they often exhibit miniatures painted with considerable neatness and admirably varnished….Most provinces of the kingdome are supplied by this great city with pen-cases or kalamdans, made, like the book-covers, of pasteboard, and sometimes equally beautiful in their decorations….some contain, in various compartments on the lids, ends and sides, very interesting pictures executed in the best style of Persian miniature.  The common subjects are battles and hunting-parties; but they often exhibit scenes from popular romances, among which the favourite scene seems to be Nizami’s story, the Loves of Khusrau and Shirin.”\r\n\r\nConstructed of papier-mache and sometimes wood, lacquer objects were often decorated with small-scale paintings of popular motifs like floral patterns, birds, royal scenes, and popular romances before a varnish was then applied that protected the painting and added a pleasing reflective glow. \r\nThis particular scene painted upon the pen box is adapted from the wall paintings at the Chihil Sutun Palace at Isfahan. The animation and crush of figures is emphasised in translating this scene from a wall painting to a miniature scale.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Large oblong pen box with rounded edges, made of lacquered papier-mache, depicting the famous battle of Chaldiran, which took place in 1514 between the Ottoman Turks and Safavids Iranians.  The top of the box depicts the Iranian Shah Isma'il slicing the Agha of the Janissaries in two, before the eyes of the Turkish Sultan Selim the Grim.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Papier-mache; painted; varnished","categories":[{"text":"Lacquerware","id":"THES49004"},{"text":"Islam","id":"THES48932"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2016JF6408","2016JF6411","2016JF6409","2016JF6412","2016JF6413","2016JF6414","2016JF6415","2016JF6410","2017KJ7250","2017KJ7203"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"017","id":"THES367282"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"017","id":"THES367282"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Pen case","id":""}],[{"text":"Pen case part","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Iran","id":"x30220"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Isfahan","id":"x28926"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1850-76","earliest":"1850-01-01","latest":"1876-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"39.8 ","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Large oblong pen box with rounded edges, Iran, Qajar period, 1850-76","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Tim Stanley, “Lacquer in the Islamic World” in The World of Lacquer: 2000 Years of History (Lisbon: Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, 2001), pp 157-187."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"William B. Robinson, “Some Thoughts on Qajar Lacquer” in Lacquerwork in Asia and Beyond:  Colloquies on Art and Archaeology in Asia No. 11, ed. William Watson.  London:  Percival David Foundation, 1981, pp. 267-70 "}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"The giant penbox and its smaller companion [764-1876] show a famous scene from Iranian history, the battle of Chaldiran against the Ottoman Turks which took place in 1514.  The Iranian Shah Isma'il is shown slicing the Agha of the Janissaries in two, before the eyes of the Turkish Sultan Selim the Grim.  Like the battle scene on the volume of poetry by Sa'adi displayed nearby, this scene is adapted from the wall paintings at the Chihil Sutun Palace at Isfahan.  The animation and crush of figures is emphasized in translating this scene from a wall painting to a miniature scale.\r\n\r\nLARGE PENBOX - BATTLE OF CHALDIRAN\r\nIran, 19th century\r\nPapier mache\r\n761-1876","date":{"text":"5 June 2000","earliest":"2000-06-05","latest":"2000-06-05"}}],"partNumbers":["761:1-1876","761:2-1876"],"accessionNumberNum":"761","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1876,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Pen case","Pen case part"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-23","recordCreationDate":"2001-02-16","availableToBook":true}}