A MOULDED QAJAR FAÏENCE TILE, Iran, Qajar, late 19th / early 20th century

h cm 33,5 x l cm 23,5

Of rectangular form, moulded and painted underglaze in black (for the outlines), turquoise, copper green, and ochre yellow. The harmonious palette and delicate, naturalistic brushwork make this a particularly fine example of its kind. The convivial scene depicts three male figures in relief, seated on the ground. The central figure, wearing a long robe and bareheaded, is shown pouring, or having just poured, a drink from a long-necked flask into the cups held by his two companions. The floor is strewn with small fruits, possibly quinces or pears, pieces of tableware, and at the centre, a tall, slender-necked vase. In the background, a lush setting filled with flowers and plants, framed by an architectural structure and topped with a copper-green curtain, suggests that the scene takes place in an open pavilion within a garden. The banquet-in-the-garden theme is a cherished subject in Persian and Islamic art, evoking the courtly pastimes of the elite and inspired by the ideal of the Persian garden (bāgh), conceived since antiquity as a vision of paradise on earth.