Description:

A SEATED SOLDIER IN PORTRAIT, 18TH CENTURY, ZAND DYNASTY
Persia, 18th century

Description:
Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper; this striking portrait shows a bearded soldier seated in a formal pose, dressed in a fur-lined robe and a tall hat with a blue band and plume. The subject holds a round shield, while a quiver of arrows and a finely rendered bow rest prominently beside him. His intense gaze and dignified posture exude authority. The drawing is set within an ornate illuminated border featuring calligraphic verses in nasta‘liq script, highlighted with coloured floral panels and geometric spandrels. The surrounding folio is framed with teal, pink, and gold rulings, mounted on a deep blue ground.

Dimensions:
30.5 x 21.5cm

Comparable examples:

  • Sotheby’s, London, Arts of the Islamic World, 1 May 2019, Lot 43, Zand-period military figure, ink and gouache, £6,250 

  • Bonhams, London, Islamic and Indian Art, 11 June 2020, Lot 63, Persian warrior portrait with arms and calligraphic frame, £5,355 

  • Christie’s, London, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 27 October 2022, Lot 116, Zand dynasty miniature of a court soldier, £7,560 

Note:
Military portraiture in the Zand era continued the Safavid legacy of emphasising heroic stature and ceremonial elegance. This work combines the martial symbolism of bows and arrows with the visual sophistication of courtly manuscript painting. The elaborate border, with its mix of poetry and ornamentation, reflects the cultural prestige of the soldier class within elite Persian society.

 

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
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£10,000 £19,999 £1,000
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£500,000 £999,999 £50,000
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