An Illustrated and Illuminated Album Page: A Portrait of a Princess, Persia, Safavid, dated 935 AH/1528 AD

Gouache heightened with gold on paper, couplet in white Thuluth written below, dated above within an illuminated headpiece with gold and polychrome flowers, laid down on a late sixteenth-century album page comprising illuminated panels, calligraphic cartouches and gold-decorated borders

In generally good overall condition, very minor flaking, slight thumbing around edges of leaf, generally bright, as viewed.
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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."

inscriptions
below the miniature:

'Who could have painted this paragon of Chinese (sic) beauty, and imbued her face with such sweet life'

This is an intriguing portrait, depicting a princess with a stylised face, characteristic pearl-beaded skull-cap, high collared cloak and earrings, but with a Safavid crown worn over her forehead like a tiara. It must have been copied from a European print which had found its way to Persia. Whilst works copied from European prints were noted in Mughal India by the end of sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Persian examples were much rarer. Although the date of this painting (1528) seems early in terms of style, it is quite feasible. A later version of the same princess was formerly in the Hagop Kevorkian collection, sold in these rooms, 1 December 1969, lot 71.