- 77
A SAFAVID BRASS CANDLESTICK, Persia, circa 1600
Description
- Brass
Provenance
Moustafa Avigdor (b.1879), Brookline, Massachusetts
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Inscriptions
The verses are from three different poets:
On the top, from the Bustan of Sa'di (see Melikian-Chirvani 1982, p.309);
On the body, a quatrain (unidentified);
And on the base, by Katibi (see Melikian-Chirvani 1982, pp.313 & 315)
This elegant torchstand carries fields of intricate arabesques and delicate calligraphy. Its form varies a little from the usual in that it has a raised rim on its base that could, therefore, act as a drip tray. A torchstand in the National Museum of Iran, Teheran, has a similar, albeit larger (50.4cm.) form, and is decorated in a relatively similar manner though there is no resemblance in the inscriptions (Melikian-Chirvani 2007, pp.374-5, no.135).
The formal elements of trilobed- and half-palmettes are interwoven with stylised naturalistic foliage. These decorative themes are also employed on a bowl in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Like the present example, this bowl also includes lotus motifs in its design (Melikian-Chirvani 1982, p.303-4, no.134).