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Foster 38

Record Id:
032-003264604
Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
032-003264604
MDARK:
ark:/81055/vdc_100028181445.0x00041d
LARK:
SLARK:
Format:
ISAD(G)
Reference (shelfmark):
Foster 38
Title:

Fath 'Ali Shah. King of Persia 1797-1834. The King is seated on a carpet. Artist(s): 'Abdallah Khan (fl. 1820), attributed to

Scope & Content:

Fath ‘Ali Shah of Persia 1797-1834, c.1820

The King is seated on a carpet with a border of pearls. He has a crown on his head and wears a tight-fitting scarlet coat ornamented with jewels. His right hand grasps the lower part of a dagger which projects from his girdle; the left rests upon his knees. A sword in a sheath studded with pearls hangs in front. Near the lower left-hand corner of the picture is a perfume bottle.

Inscribed on front in Persian in a cartouche: ‘al-Sultan Fath-‘Ali Shah Qadar’

85 by 58 ins (216 by 147.5 cms)

Presented to the East India Company, 1823

This is probably the painting presented to the Court of Directors by the Shah in 1822 through Edward Mathews, who had been sent out from England with presents from the Company to the King. It was received in 1823 and ordered to be hung in the Library.

B W Robinson considers that this picture is similar in style to the portrait of Fath ‘Ali Shah by ‘Abdallah Khan in the Victoria and Albert Museum (707-1876) and is therefore probably by the same artist.

The pose in the picture is typical of many portraits of Fath ‘Ali Shah, e.g. miniature in the ‘Shahinshah Nama’ (Bodleian, Elliot 327, f.318a) presented to Sir George Ouseley by Fath ‘Ali Shah in 1812. Reproduced B.W. Robinson ‘The Royal Gifts of Fath ‘Ali Shah’, ‘Apollo,’ Sept. 1950, 66-68, fig. IV.

Collection Area:
Visual Arts
Hierarchy Tree:
[{ "id" : "032-003264604", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Foster 38: Fath 'Ali Shah. King of Persia 1797-1834. The King is seated on a carpet. Artist(s): 'Abdallah Khan (fl. 1820), attributed to" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]
Hierarchy Record Ids:
032-003264604
Is part of:
not applicable
Hierarchy:
032-003264604
Container:
not applicable
Record Type (Level):
Fonds
Extent:
1 Item
Digitised Content:
Languages:
Not applicable
Scripts:
Not applicable
Styles:
Persian style
Qajar style
Start Date:
1819
End Date:
1821
Date Range:
c 1820
Era:
CE
Access:
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User Conditions:
Appointment required to view these records. Please consult Asian and African Studies Print Room staff.
Physical Characteristics:

Medium: oil paint; canvas

Finding Aids:
Mildred Archer, The India Office collection of paintings and sculpture (London, 1986), 85
Exhibitions:
APAC reading room, British Library
Material Type:
Prints, Drawings and Paintings
Legal Status:
Not Public Record(s)
Names:
Fath Ali, Shah of Persia, 1797-1834
Khan, Abdallah, fl 1820
Subjects:
Portraits