11.5x4.5x4.5 In (Each).

This finely cast and engraved gilt-brass figure exemplifies the exceptional metalworking traditions of Qajar Iran in the mid-19th century. The figure, depicting a dignified court sage in flowing robes and turban, stands on an octagonal plinth engraved with floral scrolls, rosettes, and calligraphic ornamentation. The engraved inscription on the base serves as a signature or dedicatory element, integrated harmoniously into the decorative design rather than functioning as a devotional text.

The piece demonstrates a high degree of technical sophistication: the brass casting is of substantial weight and precision, while the engraving reveals an accomplished hand, employing finely chased lines and subtle gilding to accentuate contours and textiles. Such craftsmanship reflects the revival of luxury metalwork in Qajar Iran, where artisans in Isfahan and Shiraz reinterpreted earlier Safavid and Timurid aesthetic vocabularies for a modern courtly audience.

The figure’s serene posture and meticulous surface treatment embody the Qajar fascination with human portraiture, introduced under Naser al-Din Shah (r. 1848–1896), when depictions of scholars, poets, and courtiers became symbols of learning and refinement. The present example stands as a rare survival of a sculptural genre more often seen in two-dimensional painting or enamelwork. Comparable engraved brass figures, though seldom encountered, reside in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Tehran Museum of Decorative Arts.

The combination of figural casting, refined engraving, and partial gilding situates this work among the finest examples of 19th-century Persian metal art — a tangible testament to the technical virtuosity and artistic continuity of Qajar craftsmanship.

Non-exportable

Provenance: The Estate of Mangaldas Nathubhai