Description
This very rare pair of Bactrian camels or Magnolian two-humped back camels are usually native to the Himalayas and the Central Asian deserts, therefore they must have been commissioned to be made in Iran.
Both animals are made of damascened steel and overlaid with gold and silver decorations over the steel body (both the Gold & the Silver overlay are the original overlay and no later substitution is been added).
The overlay decoration which can be found on the head, face, eyes, tail, back and limps of both animals is typical of other related items such as the arabesque, geometric, scrolling vines and saddle with dangling tassels like motives.
Dimensions
The height is 26 cm.
The width is 27 cm.
The depth is 8.7 cm.
Condition
Very good, minimal loss to the gold and silver overlay and some steel and silver tarnishing.
Provence
The European Art Market
References
For a very similar Damascened steel camel please see,
Persian Art, Collecting the Arts of Iran from the V&A, BY Moya Carey.
Please see lot no. 115 Exhibited on page 124., the old photograph, (Henry Wallis, catalogue of specimens illustrative of Persian and Arab Art exhibited in 1885, in London, pl.19 MES L.2.B.3.UK1.1), in particular please see the damascened steel Camel lot no. 209 among the collection of Persian metalware.
For a Collection of Qajar Dynasty Damascened steel animals and other related items please see the following:
L’empire Des Rose, Chefs-d’oeuvre de l’art persn du XIXe siècle, “The Empire of Roses” Masterpieces of 19th. Century Persian Art” the Louvre Lens, 2018, ISBN: 978-94-6161-441-4., please see the various related lots catalogued on pages 92-101, Also another related works of Art catalogued on pages 376-397.
For another related pair of Damascened steel animals please see the following Sotheby’s Auction House sales in London.
1- On the 28th. of April, 2010, Defining an Era: The collection of the late Francis Egerton and Peter Maitland, please see the sold pair of Qajar Damascened steel Birds, Lot No. 647.
2- On the same above sale, please see the sold pair of Qajar damascened Cockerels, Lot No. 646.
3- On the 5 October, 2011, Islamic works of Art, please see the sold pair of Qajar damascened steel Ibex, Lot No. 332.
