Description:

Lot 146. THE FORTUNE TELLER BY PRINCE NOSRAT AL-DIN MIRZA SALAR ES-SALTANEH (1884–1954), 
Signed “Nosrat 1332 AH”

Executed in fine watercolour and gouache on paper, this intimate genre scene portrays an elderly fortune teller seated cross-legged before two veiled women within a modest interior. The figures are arranged around a low wooden table bearing books, papers, and a small dish, rendered with meticulous attention to the textures of textiles and light. The muted palette of ochre, brown, and cream tones is enlivened by subtle highlights on the women’s veils and the patterned carpets beneath them.

The reverse retains its original paper backing within a carved wooden frame, showing the artist’s careful presentation.

Prince Nosrat al-Din Mirza Salar es-Saltaneh, a son of Nasser al-Din Shah and Princess Zina es-Saltaneh, was a Qajar prince and accomplished painter. His works are rare and exemplify the late Qajar taste for realism influenced by European academic painting. This composition follows the celebrated painting The Fortune Teller by Mohammad Ghaffari, known as Kamal-ol-Molk, a master whom the prince likely knew personally and admired for his naturalistic approach and refinement of detail.



Prince Nosrat al-Din Mirza Salar es-Saltaneh was a Qajar prince and painter, the son of Nasser-al-Din Shah and princess Zina es Saltaneh, the grand-daughter of Abbas Mirza. Paintings by him are rare. 

The Fortune Teller is after a well known painting by Mohammad Ghaffari, better known as Kamal-ol-Molk ('Perfection on Land'), a title bestowed upon him by Nasser-al-Din Shah when he was invited to paint at court. It is highly-likely that Prince Nosrat and Ghaffari knew one another, in addition to being of a similar age and sharing a passion for art.

Length x Width: 56 x 43cm

Folio: 34 x 22cm

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

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