Description:

AN ELDER DERVISH WITH A STAFF, OF SUFI INTEREST, 19TH CENTURY
Persia, 19th century

Description:
Ink on paper; a fine Persian line drawing of an elderly dervish leaning forward on a walking staff, his head slightly bowed and expression contemplative. He is depicted in traditional long robes and a voluminous turban, rendered with delicate, fluid strokes. The minimalism of the composition draws attention to the spiritual gravity of the figure. The folio is bordered with multiple coloured rulings—pink, gold, and green—within a richly marbled paper mount in tones of violet, blue, and ochre.

Dimensions:
27.5 x 21cm

Comparable examples:

  • Bonhams, London, Islamic and Indian Art, 11 June 2020, Lot 67, 19th-century Persian drawing of a Sufi elder, £4,080 

  • Sotheby’s, London, Arts of the Islamic World, 26 April 2023, Lot 89, Persian figure study of a dervish, ink on paper, £5,355 

  • Christie’s, London, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 26 April 2018, Lot 114, Qajar-period Sufi-themed folio, £4,500 

Note:
Sufi imagery in Persian art often focused on the mystic figure of the dervish—symbolic of humility, wisdom, and detachment from worldly concerns. These intimate figure studies were typically included in albums assembled by scholars or courtiers interested in spiritual and philosophical themes, bridging the visual arts and Persian mysticism.

 

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
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