Author
Muhammad Yusuf, son of Muhammad Zaman
Author Original
محمد يوسف إبن محمد زمان
Publication Date
1120 AH / 1708/9 AD
Publication Place
-
Rietberg Museum
Subject
Paper mache, opaque watercolor, varnish
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الطول: 22.7 سم ، العرض: 3.6 سم ، الارتفاع: 3.8 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
2017,529
Record ID
object;EPM;sw;Mus21;9;ar
Library Location
Rietberg Museum
Date
1120 AH / 1708/9 AD
Notes
Little is known about the painter Muhammad Youssef. As his signature attests, he is Ibn Muhammad Zaman (active Hijri around 1072-1105 AH/AD around 1662-1694). Besides the pen case shown here, only two others are known, both of which are in the Museum of Decorative Arts in Tehran. Like his better-known brother Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Yusuf apparently specialized in lacquer painting. There is also a fourth work of his that is part of the so-called Plovtsova Album located in St. Petersburg. Dating back to 1108 AH (1696/97 AD) it is the oldest known published work by Muhammad Yusuf to date. The upper surface of the pencil case shows a young woman drawn from the front wearing luxurious clothing in a landscape. The presence of many European decorations is typical of the landscapes of Muhammad Zaman and his brother Hajj Muhammad (active AH 1084-1124 / AD 1673-1712). On the other hand, the depiction of the young woman goes back to the type of depiction that was popular in Safavid Persia from about 1660 to the late 1680s. It was “invented” by Bahram Safarekash (active 1030-1050 AH/AD 1621-1640) most likely in the Deccan in southern India, and then brought to Isfahan around 1640, where It was developed by Sheikh Abbasi (active AH 1057-1094 / AD 1647-1683) and then adapted by other painters. The sides of the pencil case are decorated with an array of different flowers. These "florid figurative paintings" were first found in the work of Shafi'i Abbasi (active 1040-1066 AH / 1631-1656 AD), and were later incorporated into the works of Muhammad Zaman and especially in those of his brother.
Sample Text
Axel Langer "Pencil Box" in Explore Islamic Art Collections. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;sw;Mus21;9;ar
