Description:

A SEATED YOUTH WITH A WINE CUP, 19TH CENTURY
Persia, 19th century

Description:
Opaque watercolour and gold on paper; this finely rendered Persian miniature depicts a youthful figure in an orange robe, seated in a lush garden with a wine cup in hand, accompanied by two attendants. One pours from a decanter while the other gazes attentively, suggesting a scene of refined conviviality. The setting is a flowering landscape with stylised rock formations, blossoming plants, and a fruit platter at their feet. The composition is framed by an elegant black and gold floral border on a speckled buff ground. This work reflects the Qajar-era fascination with classical Persian themes of wine, poetry, and youthful beauty.

Dimensions:
31.5 x 23cm

Comparable examples:

  • Sotheby’s, London, Arts of the Islamic World, 1 May 2019, Lot 25, Persian painting of a youth with attendants, Qajar school, £4,750 

  • Bonhams, London, Islamic and Indian Art, 22 November 2022, Lot 91, 19th-century Persian miniature of a courtly garden scene, £5,865 

  • Christie’s, London, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 26 October 2023, Lot 112, Qajar-period romantic scene with wine drinkers, £6,930 

Note:
Garden scenes featuring wine and youthful figures evoke the lyrical world of Persian poetry, particularly the works of Hafez and Sa’di. These images were not merely decorative but symbolic, alluding to spiritual ecstasy and poetic love. The vivid palette and graceful lines of this painting are typical of the later Qajar style, where narrative intimacy and ornamental richness converge.

 

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

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