Page 53 - 2021 April 1, ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND Indian Worlds Including Oriental Rugs, Christie's London

for Persian and Islamic art in this era, situating him somewhere between
the Hudson River School artist Frederick Church and the world-traveller
and collector, Doris Duke. The fact that he was an art connoisseur and kept
the painting installed in his studio, even when he later deaccessioned works
from the collection, speaks to his very original and innovative taste. (email
communication, Denyse Cunningham to the author Feb 19, 2021).
CONCLUSION:
To conclude, we may argue that the Bartlett painting came from one of the
palaces mentioned in the 1839 firman which would have been torn down
by the late 19th century and its contents sold to an intermediary, possibly
Dikran Kelekian, who was known to Muzaffar al-Din Shah. In stylistic terms,
the Bartlett painting and its group are hieratic, theatrical, extremely lavish
and really unprecedented in Persian painting, which in the 19th century, was
synonymous with ‘miniature painting’. Certainly, they astonished European
visitors traveling in Iran in this period. Given the historicizing nature of the
early Qajar court we may also discern a connection with the Persepolis reliefs
supported by Abdallah’s rock reliefs of Fath ‘Ali Shah (William Robinson,
email communication to the author, February 21,2021)
The Bartlett painting and its subgroup emphasizes that these were not only
dynastic images but evidence of the pecking order of the princelings and the
struggles for succession after the death of Fath ‘Ali Shah. These paintings
broaden the scope of Persian painting from the miniature to the monumental,
presenting a kaleidoscope of imagery not unlike a giant royal muraqqa. They
are history writ on a large scale.
I wish to express my gratitude to William Robinson, Abbas Amanat,
Manoutchehr Eskandari-Qajar, Behnaz Atighi Moghaddam and Melis
Cokuslu for their assistance in the research and preparation of this entry.
INSCRIPTIONS:
Courtesy of Dr. Manoutchehr Eskandari-Qajar
Top row (left to right)
1. Ebrahim Mirza son of Esma’il Mirza. Esma’il Mirza is Fath `Ali Shah’s eighteenth son from Zoleykha
Khanum.
2. Siyavash (or Siyavosh) Mirza son of Kiomarth (or Kiumarth) Mirza. Kiomarth Mirza is Kiomarth Mirza
“Il-Khani” “Abol Moluk” “Molk-Ara,” Fath `Ali Shah’s thirty-second son from Pari Shah Khanum Gorji, a.k.a.
“Hajieh Shah Khanum.”
3. Arsalan Mirza son of Seyf al-Moluk Mirza. This is an interesting addition because Arsalan Mirza is the
great-grand son of Fath `Ali Shah. Seyf al-Moluk Mirza is the son of `Ali Shah "Zell al-Soltan," who was the
tenth son of Fath `Ali Shah. Seyf al-Moluk Mirza was the son of `Ali Shah Mirza from Hajieh Agha Khanum,
the daughter of Qahar Qoli Mirza Afshar, son of Shahrokh Mirza, son of Reza Qoli Mirza, son of Nader Shah
Afshar. Prince ‘Abbas Mirza. Abdallah Naqqash. Tehran, dated
4. Mohammad Karim Mirza son of Mohammad Mehdi Mirza. Mohammad Mehdi Mirza is the thirtieth son 1222 A.H. / 1807 A.D. Oil on Canvas. 200 x 78 cm.
of Fath `Ali Shah from Moshtari Baji. Original location unknown Acc. No. unavailable. Formerly
in Negarestan Museum. Islamic Art Sale, 9 October 1978.
5. Emam Qoli Mirza son of Sheykh `Ali Mirza. Sheykh `Ali Mirza is Sheykh `Ali Mirza “Sheykh al-Moluk,”
Sotheby’s. Source: Image provided by Sotheby’s
Fath `Ali Shah’s ninth son from Maryam Begom, daughter of Sheykh `Ali Khan Zand.
6. Esma'il Mirza son of Ebrahim Mirza. Ebrahim Mirza is Fath `Ali Shah’s thirty-ninth son by Begom Jan
Khanum, daughter of Haji Sadeq Qazvini.
7. Ghahreman Mirza son of Hasan `Ali Mirza. Hasan `Ali Mirza is Hasan `Ali Mirza “Shoja’ al-Saltaneh,” Fath
`Ali Shah’s sixth son from Badr-e Jahan Khanum. 7. Ja’far Qoli Mirza son of Nayeb al-Saltaneh (Ja’far Qoli Mirza was the eleventh son of `Abbas Mirza. “Nayeb
8. Akbar Mirza, son of Homayun Mirza. Homayun Mirza is Fath `Ali Shah’s sixteenth son from Maryam al-Saltaneh” refers to `Abbas Mirza, Fath `Ali Shah’s fourth son from Asiyeh Khanum Davalu. )
Khanum of the Bani Israel. He was the full brother of Fath `Ali Shah’s favorite daughter, Shah Begom 8. Mohammad Rahim Mirza son of Nayeb al-Saltaneh. (The writing looks like “Ebrahim," but `Abbas Mirza’s
Khanum “Zia’ al-Saltaneh.” nineteenth son’s name was Mohammad Rahim Mirza “Zia’ al-Dowleh.” “Nayeb al-Saltaneh” refers to `Abbas
Second row (left to right) Mirza, Fath `Ali Shah’s fourth son from Asiyeh Khanum Davalu.)
1. Hasan Khan son of Ebrahim Khan. Ebrahim Khan Qajar Qovanlu "Zahir al-Dowleh" (d. AH 1240/CE 1825), Bottom row (left to right)
the first son-in-law of Fath `Ali Shah, husband to Fath `Ali Shah’s first daughter, Homayun Soltan Khanum 1. Illegible.
known as "Khanum Khanuman” “Navab Mote`aliyeh” “Khan Baji,” sister of Hoseyn `Ali Mirza Farman Farma 2. Mirza Abol-Qasem son of Mirza Gholam Shah. This refers to Mirza Abol Qasem, son of Farrokh Soltan
and Hasan `Ali “Shoja` al-Saltaneh,” whose son is also featured as no. 7 in the top row. Ebrahim Khan “Zahir Khanum, thirty-fifth daughter of Fath `Ali Shah, and of Mirza Gholam Shah “Pishkhedmat Bashi” (Head
al-Dowleh” had three children with this daughter of Fath `Ali Shah, but had a total of forty-one children Chamberlain of Fath `Ali Shah).
(twenty sons and twenty-one daughters.) Two further sons are also depicted in the bottom row (nos. 7 and 3. Allah Qoli Khan son of Musa Khan. Allah Qoli Khan refers to Allah Qoli Khan “Il-Khani,” son of` Ezzat
8). Ebrahim Khan “Zahir al-Dowleh” was both the paternal cousin of Fath ‘Ali Shah, as well as his adopted Nesa’ Khanum, thirteenth daughter of Fath `Ali Shah, and of Musa Khan Qajar Qovanlu. He owned the
son and his son-in-law, and much honored by Fath `Ali Shah. This, in addition to his large number of sons, famous Bagh-e Il-Khani, near the location of the Bank-e Melli, and on account of his double Qovanlu
makes him the likely candidate for the “Ebrahim Khan” in question. parentage, considered himself a claimant to the throne.
2. Shah Khalil, son of …. ? 4. Khalil or Jalil Allah son of Ali Mohammad Khan.
3. Mohammad `Ali Khan, son of Allahyar Khan. Mohammad `Ali Khan refers to Mohammad `Ali Khan 5. Jamshid Khan son of …? Khan.
“Sardar,” son of Hajieh Maryam Khanum, fifth daughter of Fath `Ali Shah, and of Allahyar Khan “Asef al- 6. Jamshid Khan son of Soleyman Khan. This Soleyman Khan is possibly Soleyman Khan “Amir Kabir”
Dowleh” Qajar Davalu “Tajbakhsh,” one of the powerful Davalu Khans and Grand-Vizier of Fath `Ali Shah. “Nezam al-Dowleh” “E`tezad al-Dowleh” Qajar Qovanlu (d. AH 1220/CE 1805), son of Mohammad Khan
4. Asad Allah Khan, son of Mohammad Baqer Khan. Asad Allah Khan could refer to Asad Allah Khan son Qajar Qovanlu. He was one of the most respected early Qajar commanders who fought for the right of Aqa
of Zeynab Khanum, eleventh daughter of Fath `Ali Shah, and of Mohammad Baqer Khan “Merrikh Shah,” Mohammad Khan to be Shah, and one of the great Qovanlu Khans.
(himself son of Hoseyn Qoli Khan Kuchak, brother of Fath `Ali Shah). Given that this was such an important 7. Fakhr al-Dowleh, son of Ebrahim Khan (see Second Row, no.1 for identification of Ebrahim Khan.)
grandson, it would make sense to have him in this painting, but this identification is not certain. 8…., son of Ebrahim Khan (see Second Row, no.1 for identification of Ebrahim Khan.)
5. Illegible. Please note for this lot we have used Persianate transliterations, rather than Arabic used elsewhere in the
6. Illegible. catalogue.
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