Description:

A PORTRAIT OF FATH ‘ALI SHAH QAJAR, CIRCLE OF MEHR ‘ALI, QAJAR IRAN, EARLY 19TH CENTURY
Qajar Iran, early 19th century

Description:
Oil on canvas, bust-length, depicting Fath ‘Ali Shah Qajar (r. 1797–1834), attributed to the circle of court artist Mehr ‘Ali. The Shah is portrayed with his characteristic jet-black beard and arched brows, wearing a richly bejewelled robe with ornamental epaulettes and armlets rendered in vibrant reds, golds, and greens. His towering crown, adorned with a symmetrical arrangement of rubies, emeralds, pearls, and plume aigrettes, symbolises Qajar imperial authority.

Set against a neutral olive background, an inscription in Persian to the left of the figure identifies him by name and title. This stylised portrait reflects the Persian court’s visual culture, wherein the ruler’s image was idealised and disseminated as a means of asserting power, legitimacy, and divine favour.

Dimensions: 70cm x 50cm

Comparable examples:

  • A portrait of Fath ‘Ali Shah attributed to the circle of Mehr ‘Ali sold at Sotheby’s, Arts of the Islamic World, 1 May 2019, Lot 172, for £27,500.

  • A related bust-length portrait in oil on canvas achieved £22,500 at Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 25 October 2021, Lot 86.

  • A similar Qajar portrait with comparable bejewelled motifs sold at Christie’s, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 26 April 2018, Lot 143, for £23,750.

Note:
Fath ‘Ali Shah was a patron of visual propaganda, commissioning numerous idealised images of himself from artists such as Mehr ‘Ali. These portraits played a central role in court aesthetics and Qajar political ideology, blending Persianate visual traditions with early modern refinements in scale, costume, and painterly technique.

 

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
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