Description:

Lot 143. A PORTRAIT OF A DERVISH NUR ALI SHAH, SIGNED AND DATED BY HOSSEIN QOLLAR-AQASI
Iran, 1952

Oil on canvas depicting a seated figure of Dervish Nur Ali Shah, shown in three-quarter view against a verdant landscape with a flowing river and distant hills. The dervish wears a red robe trimmed with gold embroidery and a tall red cap adorned with a central medallion, holding a staff in one hand and a rosary in the other. His youthful features are softly modelled, with subtle tonal shading enhancing the serene expression and introspective poise. The background transitions from muted greens to warm sky tones, contributing depth to the composition.

The painting bears the artist’s signature and date in Persian in the lower right corner, reading “Hossein Qollar-Aqasi, 1331 AH (1952 CE).” It is presented within a wood frame with gilt inner moulding. The reverse reveals the original canvas stretched on a wooden support, showing natural age-related marks and surface wear.

Hossein Qollar-Aqasi (1894–1966) was a prominent figure in the development of Iranian pictorial modernism, renowned for his synthesis of traditional Persian miniature aesthetics with Western oil technique. His portraits of mystics, saints, and heroes exemplify the expressive realism and symbolic spirituality that characterised Iranian painting of the mid-20th century.

Length x Width: 84 x 64cm

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November 4, 2025 1:00 PM GMT
London, United Kingdom

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