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Pen box (qalamdan)

Title	Pen box (qalamdan)
Author	Unknown
Publication Date:	1860
Publication Place	Iran (made) -
Subject	Woodwork
Type	Other
Language	Undetermined
Digital	Yes
Manuscript	No
Physical Dimensions	Length: 20.5 cm, Width: 3.8 cm, Height: 3.7 cm
Library:	Victoria and Albert Museum
Library Asset ID	924:1-1869
Record ID	924:1-1869
Library Location	Middle East Section
Date	1860
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.
Malzemeler ve teknikler	Carved and varnished pearwood
Parçalar	Pen Case, Pen Case Part
Fiziksel açıklama	Oblong shaped pen box with rounded edges, carved on all sides in low relief with floral sprays and small birds against a finely dotted background. The case slides open from one side.
Üslup	Qajar

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Victoria and Albert Museum

Pen box (qalamdan)

Author Unknown

Publication Date 1860

Publication Place Iran (made) -

Subject Woodwork

Type Other

Language Undetermined

Digital Yes

Manuscript No

Physical Dimensions Length: 20.5 cm, Width: 3.8 cm, Height: 3.7 cm

Library Victoria and Albert Museum

Library Asset ID 924:1-1869

Record ID 924:1-1869

Library Location Middle East Section

Date 1860

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.

Malzemeler ve teknikler Carved and varnished pearwood

Parçalar Pen Case, Pen Case Part

Fiziksel açıklama Oblong shaped pen box with rounded edges, carved on all sides in low relief with floral sprays and small birds against a finely dotted background. The case slides open from one side.

Üslup Qajar