A QAJAR LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ MIRROR CASE WITH KHITAN AND ‘AQD CEREMONIES
Qajar Iran, mid to late 19th century

Of rectangular shape, the mirror case painted in polychromes and gold, and lacquered, the front and reverse panels featuring indoor scenes of convivial female gatherings to celebrate important rites of passage in the life of a woman, such as the circumcision of her son (khitan) and the intimate get-together with friends and other female members of the family before the wedding ceremony ('aqd), in the first scene the women of the house gather around the little baby boy and keep him still whilst the wet nurse performs the khitan, three maiden observing the scene in the background resting on large bolsters in front of trays with Persian delicacies, in the latter panel the future bride seated in the middle ground, with a hijab covering her face, many women engaged in all sorts of activities like reading, smoking, serving food, and even holding a sword and whisking it around, each scene set within concentric decorative borders with foliage and vegetal sprays, the interior of the lid with a typical Qajar maiden seated against a large bolster in a Persian interior.

28.3cm x 19cm

In Qajar art, figural representations of daily life, large celebrations, and interior scenes were particularly beloved and the lacquer media provided a great platform. This mirror case would have been the perfect companion for any Qajar woman. From the moment preceding her bethrotal to the time following the birth of her first child, a Qajar woman would have had to go through many rites of passage. The consolation these panels offered was the awareness that she would have not had to face these challenges alone: she would be accompanied by a crowd of wise, well-spirited and kindred women supporting her every step of the way, as these illustrations testify.