Bidspirit auction | A QAJAR PORTRAIT OF HUSAYN

A QAJAR PORTRAIT OF HUSAYN ALI KHAN MUAYYIR AL-MAMALIK IN A DOUBLE-SIDED KHATAM-KARI FRAME, 19TH CENTURY. - A Qajar dynasty portrait of the official Husayn Ali Khan Muayyir al-Mamalik. The subject is depicted standing, wearing a traditional tall black conical kolah hat and a voluminous red robe decorated with a repeating paisley boteh pattern over a dark inner garment. He holds a large blue-bound volume horizontally with both hands. The central figure is surrounded by an inner border of gold foliate scrolls on a cream ground, and a secondary wide border featuring intricate blue and gold arabesque motifs. The work is presented in a double-sided Khatam-kari frame, a traditional Persian micro-marquetry technique. The frame is constructed from thousands of precisely cut pieces of wood, bone, and brass arranged in complex geometric star and floral patterns. The reverse of the frame is fully decorated with matching Khatam-kari inlay, featuring a large central six-pointed star surrounded by geometric medallions. Approximately 39 x 29cm