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Pen box (qalamdan)

Title	Pen box (qalamdan)
Publication Date:	1850
Publication Place	Iran (made) Shiraz (made) -
Subject	Lacquerware
Type	Other
Language	Undetermined
Digital	Yes
Manuscript	No
Physical Dimensions	Length: 24.2 cm, Width: 4.9 cm
Library:	Victoria and Albert Museum
Library Asset ID	764:1-1876
Record ID	764:1-1876
Library Location	Middle East Section
Date	1850
Notes	The primary function of a pen box (qalamdan) was as a writing implement - made of papier mache, wood or other materials, including precious metals â intended to hold a number of tools associated with the art and act of writing, including reed pens, an inkwell, liqah (a cotton wool substance used to absorb excess ink), a penknife, a qatâzan (a flat resting board made of horn), a whetstone, a small spoon, and a pair of scissors. These accessories were considered essential elements for a scribe. The box that kept these elements was deemed, by association, as important as the person who handled its contents, with the quality of the boxâs decoration directly reflecting the status of the scribe or patron. Pen boxes were carried by penmen of all ranks, often tucked into the shawls tied around their waists, symbolising a badge of their trade. So esteemed was the pen box that even Shahs commissioned them; these rare examples are confirmed by their inscriptions. The earliest specimens of this type date from the reign of Shah Sulayman Safavi (1664-95), but later Qajar examples commissioned by members of high bureaucracy also exist throughout the nineteenth century. This particular scene painted upon the pen box is adapted from the wall paintings at the Chihil Sutun Palace at Isfahan. The animation and crush of figures is emphasised in translating this scene from a wall painting to a miniature scale.
Malzemeler ve teknikler	Lacquered papier-mache
Parçalar	Pen Case, Pen Case Part
Fiziksel açıklama	Oblong shaped pen box with rounded edges, made of lacquered papier-mache and painted with the battle of Chaldiran in a crowded composition, with similarly crowded scenes on the sides of a royal lion hunt. The base of the cover and the sides of the sliding compartment are red, with gold floral scrollwork.

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Victoria and Albert Museum

Pen box (qalamdan)

Publication Date 1850

Publication Place Iran (made) Shiraz (made) -

Subject Lacquerware

Type Other

Language Undetermined

Digital Yes

Manuscript No

Physical Dimensions Length: 24.2 cm, Width: 4.9 cm

Library Victoria and Albert Museum

Library Asset ID 764:1-1876

Record ID 764:1-1876

Library Location Middle East Section

Date 1850

Notes The primary function of a pen box (qalamdan) was as a writing implement - made of papier mache, wood or other materials, including precious metals â intended to hold a number of tools associated with the art and act of writing, including reed pens, an inkwell, liqah (a cotton wool substance used to absorb excess ink), a penknife, a qatâzan (a flat resting board made of horn), a whetstone, a small spoon, and a pair of scissors. These accessories were considered essential elements for a scribe. The box that kept these elements was deemed, by association, as important as the person who handled its contents, with the quality of the boxâs decoration directly reflecting the status of the scribe or patron. Pen boxes were carried by penmen of all ranks, often tucked into the shawls tied around their waists, symbolising a badge of their trade. So esteemed was the pen box that even Shahs commissioned them; these rare examples are confirmed by their inscriptions. The earliest specimens of this type date from the reign of Shah Sulayman Safavi (1664-95), but later Qajar examples commissioned by members of high bureaucracy also exist throughout the nineteenth century. This particular scene painted upon the pen box is adapted from the wall paintings at the Chihil Sutun Palace at Isfahan. The animation and crush of figures is emphasised in translating this scene from a wall painting to a miniature scale.

Malzemeler ve teknikler Lacquered papier-mache

Parçalar Pen Case, Pen Case Part

Fiziksel açıklama Oblong shaped pen box with rounded edges, made of lacquered papier-mache and painted with the battle of Chaldiran in a crowded composition, with similarly crowded scenes on the sides of a royal lion hunt. The base of the cover and the sides of the sliding compartment are red, with gold floral scrollwork.