A Zand enamelled and gilt-copper dagger (kard) and scabbard, Persia, dated A.H. 1207 / A.D. 1792-3

the tapering watered steel blade with gold damascened floral detail at the forte, the hilt and scabbard each encased in copper decorated in polychrome enamel flowers and foliage in white ground cartouches on a blue background scattered with flowers, the reverse with suspension loop and cartouche bearing date, the pommel with silver addition set with faceted red paste

inscriptions

ya ‘aziz 1207

‘O The Mighty! 1207 (A.D. 1792-3)’

An enamelled cup in the Abdul Latif Jassim Kanoo Collection of Islamic Art in Bahrain (Beit Al-Qur’an calender 2004, October recto) has the same invocation and is signed by Taqi.

An enamel worker with the name Taqi is recorded by Karimzadeh as possibly the son of the enamel worker Muhammad Mohsin, a master of the art of enamelling of Fath ’Ali Shah period.  He records an enamelled qalyan cup signed as ‘The most humble Taqi’ dated 1225/1810-11 (Karimzadeh Tabrizi, M. A., The Loves & Art of Old Painters of Iran, vol. I, London, 1985, p.127).