Tray

Description

Tray of lacquered papier-mâché, oblong, painted inside with a scene from the romantic poem of "Yusuf and Zulaikha" by Jami, and with a dragon and phoenix, or simurgh on the exterior: West Asia, Iran, probably Isfahan, Safavid, AH 1109/ CE 1697 - 1698

Museum reference

A.1894.417

Collection

World Culture

Object name

Tray

Production information

Iran, West Asia

Date

1697 - 1698

Style / Culture

Safavid period

Materials

Papier-mâché, Paint, Lacquer

Physical description

Oblong painted and lacquered papier-mâché tray with lobed ends, the shape of which is mirrored by the division of the surface in the centre with a narrative scene and flower border. The centre depicts a scene from the Iranian romantic poem of "Yusuf and Zulaikha" by Jami (1414-1492). In this scene, Zulaikha presents Yusuf to the women of Memphis in Egypt. Some of the nine young ladies are stunned by Yusuf's overwhelming beauty or even faint. The principal figures, Zulaikha and Yusuf, are in the foreground, each of them accompanied by an attendant. Zulaikha sits on a carpet underneath a tent-like roof supported by four columns, with a flower vase next to her. Her reddish-brown garments are sprinkled with gold and she wears a golden crown on her head. A female attendant stands behind her, carrying a covered vessel and a fan. In front of her there is a bowl of oranges. One of her companions, sitting next to the bowl, holds a knife in her right hand and possibly an orange in her left. Her left hand is bleeding and she appears to be in conversation with Zulaikha. Yusuf, followed by an attendant, is depicted on the left-hand side of the scene having just entered the garden through a door which is still open. He is carrying a tray with an onion-shaped ewer and he is crowned, his head surrounded by a flame halo. He wears garments of bright orange with gold patterning and a green sash around his middle. In the background of the scene there is a little pavilion structure painted smaller to give a sense of perspective. In the foreground of the scene there is a fishpond with ducks; grass and bushes in the spaces between the women and two pairs of cypresses, one of which has an extra tree with blossoms. There are birds in the trees. The principal colours in the central panel are gold, green, orange, brown, red and white and the background is gold. The central panel is framed by a double-lined floral border panel which shows many different coloured flowers set against a dark background. The exterior of the tray features a red central panel with a gold dragon to the bottom right, and a gold phoenix to the top left. There are gold Chinese clouds and leaves interspersed between the two animals. A green painted panel border depicts various birds. Other animals such as a fox and deer are also depicted. The background is comprised of golden tree branches, leaves, grass and flowers interspersed between the animals. There are signs of wear to the interior of the tray where the colour has rubbed off on the outermost edge of the floral border. There is also a small disruption in the paintwork to the right of Yusuf where microscopic images show evidence of the animal/glue chalk mixture applied to the pulp paper and a layer with gilding below the painted decoration. Another small disruption in the paintwork on the cypress tree next to Yusuf reveals a layer referred to as dor which is a red/orange ground layer composed of zarda, glue and sugar, used as a preparation layer prior to gilding. Evidence of a blue preparation layer is found around the wall of the tray (see conservation report).

Associations

Jami

Exhibitions

• Within the Middle East (12 May 1995)
  Royal Museum of Scotland

References

Raby, Julian (ed) Nasser D. Khalili collect. of Islamic art, Vol. XXII, Pt 2: Lacquer of the Islamic lands, Oxford and NY, 1997

Scarce, Jennifer M., Domestic culture in the Middle East : An exploration of the household interior, Edinburgh, National Museums of Scotland, 1996, pp. 6-7.