Lot 155. Six Cantonese export porcelain dishes, a plate and a bowl made for for Nasr al-Din Shah Qajar, China, circa 1877. Estimare £3,000 - 5,000 (€3,500 - 5,800). Photo: Bonhams.

each of shallow form on short feet, elaborately decorated in gilt and polychrome on a white ground with a central roundel bearing a landscaped water motif and a bird, the upper cusped cartouche an inscription-filled cartouche surmounted by two lion and sun motifs, a crown above, further panels and cartouches with bird and floral motifs; the largest 25 cm. diam.(8)

Provenance: Private US collection.

Note: Inscriptions: al-sultan bin al-sultan bin al-khaqan bin al-khaqan nasir al-din shah qajar, 'The Sultan son of the Sultan son of the Ruler son of the Ruler, Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar'.

Lot 156. Two large Cantonese Export porcelain bowls and dishes made for Zill al-Sultan, China, dated AH 1297/ AD 1879-80. Estimare £5,000 - 7,000 (€5,800 - 8,100). Photo: Bonhams.

he bowls of deep rounded form on short feet, the dishes of shallow rounded form, extensively enamelled in polychrome with lotus sprays on a blue ground, with cartouches depicting figural scenes alternating with cartouches depicting floral sprays and birds, divided by bands of trellis motifs, inscription filled roundels to the wells of the dishes and to the exterior of the bowls; the dishes 38.5 cm. diam.(4)

Provenance: Private US collection.

Notes: Inscriptions: farmayesh-e hazrat-e as'ad-e amjad-e arfa'-e ashraf-e vala sultan mas'ud mirza yamin al-dawlah zill al-sultan 1297, 'Commissioned by His Excellency, the most Auspicious, the most Glorious, the Sublime, the most Noble, the Exalted Sultan Mas'ud Mirza Yamin al-Dawlah Zill al-Sultan 1297/AD 1879-80)'. 

Prince Masoud Mirza Yamin al-Dawla Zill al-Sultan was born to Nasr al-Din Shah and a commoner, so was not in line to the Qajar throne, which would be inherited by his brother, Muzaffar al-Din. He held the post of governor in various provinces of Persia, including Isfahan, where he was renowned for his cruelty and for the destruction of the extant Safavid palaces. For further information, see M. Bamdad, Dictionary of National Biography of Iran, Vol. 4, Tehran, 1966, pp. 78-100.

Lot 157. A Cantonese export porcelain bowl and dish and two bowls for the Qajar market, China, 19th Century. Estimare £5,000 - 7,000 (€5,800 - 8,100). Photo: Bonhams. 

the bowls of deep rounded form, the dish of shallow rounded form, each profusely decorated in polychrome and gilt with floral motifs, inscription-filled cartouches, butterflies, birds and medallions containing figural scenes; the dish 33.5 cm. diam.(4) 

Provenance: Private US collection.

Notes: Inscriptions: to the dish, farmayesh-e sarkar-e ba-eqtedar mu'tamid al-mulk yahya khan farmanfarma be-ehtemam-e aqa kuchak malik al-tujjar, 'Order of the powerful Mu'tamid al-Mulk, Yahya Khan Farmanfarma under the supervision of Aqa Kuchak, king of merchants'. To the small bowls, two couplets, salam allah 'ala al-husayn wa ashabihi, la'nat allah 'ala al-qatil al-husayn wa a'da'ihi, har-gah keh be-nushid ab-e sard shi'ayan, ba karyeh yad-e teshneh labi-ha-ye ma konid, 'God's salutations on al-Husayn and his companions, God's curse on al-Husayn's murderer and [Husayn's] enemies. Shi'is, whenever any of you drink cold water, With lamentation, remember the parched-lipped ones of ours, and tayyari-e aqall al-'asi mirza bosorg-e shirazi sana 1261, 'Composition of the smallest sinful [servant of God] the Great Mirza (mirza bozorg) Shirazi, year 1261 (1845-6)'.

Yahya Khan was a high official of Nasir al-Din Shah's period who held numerous influential posts at home and abroad. He received the title Mu'tamid al-Mulk in 1284 (1867-8) and Governor of Fars in 1291 (1874-5) (thus the name Farmanfarma). He was titled Mushir al-Dawlah in Jumadi ii 1299 (April-May 1882), which means this piece pre-dates 1882. He died on 20 Jumadi ii 1309 (21 January 1892) (Bamdad 1966, vol. iv, pp. 438-472):

Lot 158. A Cantonese Export porcelain bowl and dish and a plate made for Zill al-Sultan, China, dated AH 1297/ AD 1879-80. Estimare £2,000 - 3,000 (€2,300 - 3,500). Photo: Bonhams.

the bowl of deep rounded form on a short foot, the dish and plate of shallow rounded form on short feet, extensively enamelled in polychrome with sprays of roses and butterflies with lobed cartouches containing perching birds, inscription-filled roundels to the exterior of the bowl and to the well of the dish and plate; the plate 27.5 cm. diam.(3)

Provenance: Private US collection. 

Notes: Inscriptions: farmayesh-e hazrat-e as'ad-e amjad-e arfa'-e ashraf-e vala sultan mas'ud mirza yamin al-dawlah zill al-sultan 1297, 'Commissioned by His Excellency, the most Auspicious, the most Glorious, the Sublime, the most Noble, the Exalted Sultan Mas'ud Mirza Yamin al-Dawlah Zill al-Sultan 1297 (ad 1879-80)'.

Prince Masoud Mirza Yamin al-Dawla Zill al-Sultan was born to Nasr al-Din Shah and a commoner, so was not in line to the Qajar throne, which would be inherited by his brother, Muzaffar al-Din. He held the post of governor in various provinces of Persia, including Isfahan, where he was renowned for his cruelty and for the destruction of the extant Safavid palaces. For further information, see M. Bamdad, Dictionary of National Biography of Iran, Vol. 4, Tehran, 1966, pp. 78-100.

Lot 159. Two Cantonese Export porcelain bowls and dishes and a plate made for Zill al-Sultan, China, dated AH 1297/ AD 1879-80. Estimare £3,000 - 5,000 (€3,500 - 5,800). Photo: Bonhams.

 the bowls of deep rounded form on short feet, the dishes and plate of shallow rounded form, extensively enamelled in polychrome with lotus sprays on a blue ground, with cartouches depicting figural scenes alternating with cartouches depicting floral sprays and birds, divided by bands of trellis motifs, inscription filled roundels to the wells of the dishes and to the exterior of the bowls; the plate 33.2 cm. diam.(5)

Provenance: Private US collection. 

Notes: Inscriptions: farmayesh-e hazrat-e as'ad-e amjad-e arfa'-e ashraf-e vala sultan mas'ud mirza yamin al-dawlah zill al-sultan 1297, 'Commissioned by His Excellency, the most Auspicious, the most Glorious, the Sublime, the most Noble, the Exalted Sultan Mas'ud Mirza Yamin al-Dawlah Zill al-Sultan 1297 (ad 1879-80)' 

Prince Masoud Mirza Yamin al-Dawla Zill al-Sultan was born to Nasr al-Din Shah and a commoner, so was not in line to the Qajar throne, which would be inherited by his brother, Muzaffar al-Din. He held the post of governor in various provinces of Persia, including Isfahan, where he was renowned for his cruelty and for the destruction of the extant Safavid palaces. For further information, see M. Bamdad, Dictionary of National Biography of Iran, Vol. 4, Tehran, 1966, pp. 78-100.

Bonhams. ISLAMIC AND INDIAN ART, 18 Oct 2016, 11:00 BST, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET