19th Century Persian Qajar Lovers Gouache Painting with Gold Illuminated Borders Attributed to the Qajar School

Iran Persian Qajar Painting

Non-Paper Memorabilia

[Iran] [Art] Qajar School Lovers in Embrace gouache painting on paper, nineteenth century, represents the courtly aesthetic, erotic refinement, and dynastic visual language that defined Persian painting under Qajar rule. The composition situates a princely male figure and his adorned companion in intimate embrace, reinforcing themes of aristocratic leisure, romanticized sovereignty, and elite identity in Qajar Iran. The work supports research in Persian court painting, gender representation in Islamic art, Qajar costume and regalia, and nineteenth century Iranian material culture.

Persian Qajar gouache on paper with gold illuminated border. Depicts a young prince wearing blue and gold coat and karakul headgear embracing female companion adorned with tiara and pearls. Floral and animal illuminated margins including deer and monkeys. Image size 18.5 x 11 inches.

The prince’s distinctive headgear confirms Qajar rather than Zand period attribution, aligning the work with the heightened stylization and opulent textile rendering characteristic of nineteenth century Tehran ateliers. Comparable compositions appear in Qajar painting traditions associated with artists such as Mohammad Sadiq, whose courtly embrace scenes similarly emphasize costume detail, glassware, and staged intimacy as markers of refinement. The illuminated border, populated by floral and animal motifs, situates the lovers within a cosmological and decorative framework typical of Qajar manuscript aesthetics adapted to single-sheet painting. Minor browning to margins and discreet restoration to verso margins not affecting image. Very good. A refined example of Qajar visual culture centered on dynastic elegance and performative intimacy.

Item #14301

Price: $9,500.00