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

h cm 22,5 x l cm 22,5

Of square form, moulded and painted in black (for the outlines), cobalt blue, turquoise, copper green, ochre yellow, and manganese purple. The scene portrays a banquet with three figures in relief seated on the ground: an elderly bearded man holding a cup, a young musician playing a sitar or Persian lute, and a richly dressed female figure wearing a long decorated gown, a tunic with multicoloured sleeves and ornamental appliqués, and an elaborate headdress reminiscent of pre-Islamic Persian styles. She holds a globular flask and a small cup, as if pouring a drink for herself and her companions. The floor is scattered with small fruit, possibly quinces or pears, pieces of tableware, and a central cup with a pyramidal lid. In the background, two polychrome columns with flared capitals, draped with wide curtains, frame a lush garden, suggesting that the scene is taking place in an open pavilion within a Persian bāgh. Particularly noteworthy are the details (such as the lady’s headdress, the architectural elements and the tableware) reflecting an engagement with pre-Islamic Persian motifs, in keeping with the Achaemenid Revival style characteristic of the Qajar period.