Before and during the Qajar period of Iran, craftsmen often had a range of skills they specialised in, from embroidery to miniature painting to tile design. In particular, training in drawing and painting was considered highly accomplished, from portraiture to lacquer.
Within the field of lacquer painting, the Najaf name is still known as exceptional: a prominent family of artists with the supposed head, Najaf ʿAli, having created many lacquer works or at least, having many attributed to him as his students were said to have also used his signature in their works. Perhaps this was an indication of respect, whereby they accredit their skill to their creative teacher, or this was a method of gaining clout, using a highly respected name in their own work to increase their visibility.
This pen box is one of a pair from an auction, signed by Najaf ʿAli but again, this could be a use of the name without being the man himself. It is an intricately detailed scene, as many expected from Qajar and wider Persian paintings where detail was prioritised over texture, that demonstrates battle and a battleground. In the far background of the top of the box is a fortress where a winding path of men on horseback ride from and opposite it, on the right side of the lied, a series of tents where an army of men, also on horseback, are rushing in to attack the opposing side. These sides could be perceived through the fighters' steeds, where the fortress men ride brown horses and the opposing side have white and grey horses, as well as their wardrobe where the former wear more warm, peach-toned tunics and the latter wear more blue-toned greys. There are other smaller scenes happening within this wide scope, some soldiers either attacking each other in hand-to-hand or the fortress men taking prisoners. This scene is highly interesting as one for a pen box, especially when it is dated to just the year before the Anglo-Persian War.
this lacquer pen box originates from Iran during or just before the Qajar period, a time when craftsmen possessed highly versatile skills ranging from miniature painting to lacquer work. Although the piece bears the signature of Najaf 'Ali—the head of a prominent and exceptional family of lacquer artists—the text suggests that the signature may actually belong to one of his students. During this era, students frequently used a respected master's signature either as a token of respect to accredit their skills to their teacher, or as a strategic method to gain clout and increase the visibility of their own work.
The artwork itself prioritizes intricate detail over physical texture, displaying a sprawling, complex battleground scene across the surface of the object. The visual composition carefully divides the two opposing armies through distinct color-coded wardrobes and horse breeds. Emerging from a fortress along a winding path in the far background are defenders riding brown horses and wearing warm, peach-toned tunics. They are rushed by an invading army charging from a series of tents on the right side of the lid, recognizable by their white and grey horses and blue-toned grey wardrobe. Within this wide scope, smaller human dramas unfold, depicting soldiers engaging in hand-to-hand combat and fortress men taking prisoners. Ultimately, this intense focus on conflict carries deep historical resonance; because the pen box is dated to just the year before the Anglo-Persian War, the chaotic scene acts as a poignant reflection of the real-world geopolitical tension and impending warfare surrounding the artist at the time.
