Octagonal Mirror Case with Lid
Unknown Artist
1800s
Medium
Varnished lacquer and opaque watercolor over papier-mâché
Dimensions
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Classification
Lacquer
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mrs. L. E. Holden
Accession Number
1918.785
About this artwork
This mirror case focuses on a single female figure shown on both the interior and exterior of the case. Although she wears a slightly different ensemble in the painting inside the lid, the woman has the same henna tattoo on her throat. On the exterior she is mounted on horseback and wears a jacket embroidered with gems and pearls over a pair of wide-legged trousers, typical for ladies of the Qajar court. Her bold continuous eyebrow, kohl-lined eyes, and henna-dyed fingernails accord with Qajar f...