Description:

A MONUMENTAL INSCRIBED AGATE SEAL, 19TH CENTURY, PERSIA
Persia, Qajar period, 19th century

Description:
A highly impressive and unusually large agate seal of rhombus form, carved in fine low relief with elegant Persian nasta'liq script across its surface. The the beautiful yellowish - orange stone displays natural banding, with a smooth, polished surface and neatly bevelled edges. The inscription is arranged within a well-balanced field, framed by a delicate linear border. The scale and precision of the inscription suggest this was a prestigious commission, possibly intended for ceremonial or high-ranking official use. Its refined workmanship and monumental proportions set it apart as a rare example of Qajar glyptic art.

Dimensions: 11 x 7.5 cm

Comparable examples:

  • A large Qajar agate seal carved with calligraphic inscriptions, 19th century, sold at Christie’s, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 25 October 2018, Lot 183, for £21,250.

  • An inscribed Persian carnelian seal of comparable size and script, Qajar period, sold at Sotheby’s, Arts of the Islamic World, 1 April 2021, Lot 75, for £18,900.

  • A monumental Mughal agate seal with nasta'liq inscription, late 18th–early 19th century, sold at Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 29 October 2020, Lot 221, for £24,000.

Note:
Monumental seals such as this are rarely encountered, particularly with inscriptions of such delicacy and scale. Likely commissioned by a high-ranking noble or court official, it reflects the sophisticated calligraphic traditions and the enduring prestige of stone seals in Persian court culture during the Qajar era.

 

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
London, United Kingdom

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£100 £199 £10
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£500 £999 £50
£1,000 £1,999 £100
£2,000 £4,999 £200
£5,000 £9,999 £500
£10,000 £19,999 £1,000
£20,000 £49,999 £2,000
£50,000 £99,999 £5,000
£100,000 £199,999 £10,000
£200,000 £499,999 £20,000
£500,000 £999,999 £50,000
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