Bidspirit auction | A PERSIAN QAJAR PAINTING BY

A PERSIAN QAJAR PAINTING BY ABU L-HASAN GHAFFARI SANI OL-MOLK, DATED AH 1265, 19TH CENTURY. - This framed Persian miniature painting on paper, executed in opaque pigments and gold leaf, depicts a formal courtly scene from the mid-19th century Qajar period. The composition is set within an ornate interior featuring arched wall panels and a floor decorated with a complex geometric pattern of interlocking stars and crosses. The central figure, kneeling on the floor in an elaborate red robe with gold floral embroidery, is identified by the accompanying inscriptions as Farrokh Khan Amin al-Dawla, a significant diplomat and official of the era. To his left sits a high-ranking dignitary in a blue coat and a tall plumed kolah hat, holding a book and sword. To the right stands a military officer in a black uniform with gold epaulettes, reading from a document. The work is signed in the lower left in Persian Nasta liq script as Painted by Abu l-Hasan Ghaffari and dated AH 1265, which corresponds to approximately 1848-1849 AD. Abu l-Hasan Ghaffari, later known as Sani ol-Molk, was a renowned court painter of this period. A central upper panel contains a three-line inscription in Nasta liq script referring to Farrokh Khan Amin al-Dawla and his titles. The reverse of the frame contains a windowed aperture revealing a separate calligraphic note mentioning a date of AH 1277, approximately 1860-1861 AD, referencing the same dignitary. The painting is presented with a broad red mount in a dark wood frame. Approximately 55 x 44.5cm