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Foster 116

Record Id:
032-003264624
Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
032-003264624
MDARK:
ark:/81055/vdc_100028181445.0x000431
LARK:
SLARK:
Format:
ISAD(G)
Reference (shelfmark):
Foster 116
Title:

Fath 'Ali Shah King of Persia 1797-1834. The Shah is shown sitting on a rich carpet, wearing a tight-fitting blue costume thickly adorned with jewels. Artist(s): Mirza Baba (fl. 1793-1815)

Scope & Content:

Fath ‘Ali Shah of Persia (1797-1834), painted 1798-99

The Shah is shown sitting on a rich carpet, wearing a tight-fitting blue costume thickly adorned with jewels. His sword lies across his knees and in his right hand is a jewelled mace. His long black beard reaches almost to the waist. Upon his head is a high Persian turban (a ‘tahmazi’) decorated with pearls and a jewelled sarpech. A watch of European manufacture lies on the carpet in front. Above in the right hand corner is a pink curtain, while in the lower left-hand corner is a jewelled perfume bottle. The original arched top has been extended to fit a rectangular frame.

Inscribed at bottom: ‘Raqam Kamtarin Mirza Baba samat 1213’ (painted by Mirza Baba 1798-99). Also inscribed in a cartouche to left of the face and on the balustrade with verses by Fath ‘Ali Shah

74 by 42 ins (188 by 107 cms)

Presented to the East India Company by the Marquess Wellesley, 1806

Literature: B. Robinson, ‘Eretz Israel VII’ (L.A. Mayer Memorial Volume), 1963, p.100; Kalpana Ghose, ‘Qajar Portraiture in Memorial Collection’, ‘Bulletin of the Victoria Memorial, Calcutta,’ vol. 13, 1979, 28-30, pl.2

Reproduced: P.M. Sykes, ‘History of Persia’ (London, 1915), II, 398.

Exhibited: Whitworth Gallery, 'Indigo:A Blue to Dye for,' 23 Jan - 16 April 2007; Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery, 'Indigo:A Blue to Dye for,' 19 May - 1 Sept 2007; Hove Museum and Art Gallery, 'Indigo:A Blue to Dye for,' 29 Sept - 6 Jan 2008.

This is almost certainly the portrait which Marquess Wellesley brought to London from Calcutta in 1806 for presentation to the East India Company (Court Minutes, 9 July 1806). A similar portrait by Mehr ‘Ali dated 1798 is now in the Victoria Memorial Hall (VMR2996). It is probable that this portrait together with the India Office portrait had both been given by Fath ‘Ali Shah to Sir John Malcolm during his embassy of 1800. One painting was kept in Government House, Calcutta, and the other was taken by Wellesley to London for the East India Company who hung it in East India House.

Collection Area:
Visual Arts
Hierarchy Tree:
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Hierarchy Record Ids:
032-003264624
Is part of:
not applicable
Hierarchy:
032-003264624
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:
1798
End Date:
1799
Date Range:
1798-1799
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), 84
Exhibitions:
Royal Persian Painting; The Qajar Epoch 1785- 1925, Brunei Galley, SOAS, London, July 1999 - September 1999
Material Type:
Prints, Drawings and Paintings
Legal Status:
Not Public Record(s)
Names:
Baba, Mirza, artist, fl 1793-1815
Fath Ali, Shah of Persia, 1797-1834
Subjects:
Costumes
Occupations
Portraits
nobles