Drawing on paper tinted with watercolours. The painting shows a well-to-do woman reclining on a large cushion whilst fixing an aigrette ornament to her cap in front of a mirror. Behind her is a large cushion. On her upper arms she wears bazuband talismanic ornaments. Placed on the carpet in front of her is a green book.Mounted in a pair in a cardboard frame.
Drawing on paper, tinted and coloured, (watercolours ?) framed in pair in cardboard.
This painting is one of a series of watercolours which depict scenes that are well known in nineteenth century Persian painting and commercial photography. Judging by the fashions worn by the painting’s subjects they were probably painted between 1850 and 1875, quite possibly for sale to tourists. This example shows a well-to-do woman. She reclines on a large cushion whilst fixing an aigrette ornament to her cap. On her upper arms she wears bazuband talismanic ornaments (see Horniman objects 6.12.65/611 and 8.10.66/13). Placed on the carpet in front of her is a green book. Perhaps the most noticeable element of the subject’s costume -to the modern eye at least- is her translucent blouse, which would have been for wear in private only. These blouses, which were worn with nothing on underneath, scandalised many nineteenth century European visitors (although one suspects that not all were so outraged).
