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

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Vicinity of Shahr-i Rayy (Iran): Chasman-i-ali Mound: Qajar Rock Relief Depicting Fath Ali Shah [graphic]
Vicinity of Shahr-i Rayy (Iran): Chasman-i-ali Mound: Qajar Rock Relief Depicting Fath Ali Shah [graphic]

Object Details

sova.fsa.a.04_ref9925

GUID

Local Numbers: FSA A.04 2.12.GN.00.11
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); 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 / 2.12.01: Glass Plate Negatives / Glass Plate Negatives: Sets 1-61

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, leaving behind only a fraction of his large collection of glass negatives, which is currently in the Archives of the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Extent: 1 Glass negative (b&w, 24 cm. x 18.2 cm.)

Date: 1880-1930

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

Identifier: FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.04 2.12.GN.00.11

Type: Archival materials; Glass negatives; 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: According to Myron B. Smith handwritten document (Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran), Antoin Sevruguin's 696 glass negatives, at the time of their acquisition, were arranged into 61 boxes without any apparent organization. Today they are housed in archival document boxes, essentially duplicating the original arrangement, and stored on shelves. This glass negative was not included into any of the original boxes.

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

Existence and Location of Copies: Gelatin silver print numbered FSA A.4 2.12.Sm.40; available in Myron Bement Smith Collection, ca. 1910-1970.

Bibliography: J. P. Luft: The Qajar Rock Reliefs, Iranian Studies, Vol. 34, No. 1/4, p:33

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 and it depicts Fath Ali Shah, seating on what appears to be the peacock throne, surrounded by sixteen of his sons, the name of each of which is inscribed beside the carved heads. Fath Ali Shah Qajar was the second king of Qajar dynasty in Iran that rulled the country for around 37 years (1797-1834). He was born to Aqa Mohammad Khan Qajar's brother and since Aqa mohammad Khan did not have a child, Fath Ali shah assumed the position of the king upon his death." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]; - Handwritten number (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) reads, "817."; - Scratched handwritten number (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) reads, "131."; - Handwritten information on slip of paper (from a 1943-1944 cash book, produced by the Bathni Brothers, Tehran) reads, "83) Bridge near Resht." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information]