Vicinity of Shahr-i Ray (Iran): Chasman-i-ali Mound: Qajar Rock Relief Depicting Fath Ali Shah

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Object Details

sova.fsa.a.04_ref9855

GUID

Local Numbers: [18(E2)] FSA A.4 2.12.Sm.40
General: Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.

Creator: Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933
Names: Islamic Archives; Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933; Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970
Collection Creator: Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970

Place: Asia; Iran; Ray (Iran)

Topic: headgear; Relief (Sculpture); Royalty (Nobility); Textile design; Qajar dynasty, -- Iran, -- 1794-1925

Creator: Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933

See more items in: Myron Bement Smith Collection; Myron Bement Smith Collection / Series 2: The Islamic Archives / 2.12: Antoin Sevruguin Photographs / 2.12.02: Sevruguin Smith Prints / Architecture: Qajar

Biographical / Historical: Antoin Sevruguin is one of the early pioneers of commercial photography in Iran. He arrived in Iran from Tbilisi, Georgia in the mid 1870s to set up shop in Ala al-Dawla street in Tehran. From the early days, Sevruguin's studio was trusted both by the Qajar court and by foreign visitors to Iran. Highly regarded for their artistic ingenuity outside Iran, Sevruguin's photographs of 'ethnic types,' architecture and landscape, and depictions of daily life of Tehran found their way into foreign travelogues, magazines and books. As such, he stands alone in a relatively large group of early Iranian photographers for being recognized and celebrated outside the boundaries of the country. Antoin Sevruguin passed away in 1933, although his family studio continued for some time as a commercial enterprise.

Extent: 1 Item (photographic print, b&w, 24 cm. x 18 cm.)

Date: 1880s-1930

Archival Repository: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

Identifier: FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.Sm.40

Type: Archival materials; Gelatin silver prints; Photographic prints

Collection Citation: The Myron Bement Smith Collection, FSA A.04. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Katherine Dennis Smith.

Arrangement: Gelatin silver prints organized by Myron B. Smith into subject categories (People; Architecture - Pre-Islamic; Royalty - Residences - Gulistan Palace (Tehran; Architecture; Landscapes). This print is in the following subject category: Architecture - Qajar.

Collection Rights: Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.

Existence and Location of Copies: Glass negative numbered FSA A.4 2.12 GN.00.11; available in Myron Bement Smith Collection, ca. 1910-1970.

Genre/Form: Gelatin silver prints; Photographic prints

Scope and Contents: "The image is of a rock relief of Qajar period in the route from Tehran to Chishma Ali, one of the Qajar kings' favorite camping spots. The relief echoes the Sassanian tradition of depicting their kings in the rock relief. In the case of this one, Fath Ali Shah is surrounded by sixteen of his sons, the name of each of which is inscribed beside the carved heads. the relief includes two sets of inscriptions: a qasida by Andalib and verses by the head of the chancellery, Mirza Muhammad Taqi Aliabadi (Sahib-i Divan). The relief was ordered in 1830-1831, probably by Fath Ali Shah." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]; - On recto of the print, faded handwritten number (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) reads, "817."; - On recto of the print, scratched handwritten number (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) reads, "131."; - On verso of the print (lower left corner), original stamp, in French and Persian, reads, "Photographie Sevruguin."; - On verso of the print, Myron Bement Smith caption in English reads, "Persia; Tehrān; "Chasme Ali? [at Shah Abdul Azim]"; rock relief."