English: A Qajar enamelled gold plaque signed by Ghulam 'Ali, depicting Prince Tahmasp Mirza Mu'ayyid al-Dawlah

Persia, 19th Century

Of oval form, decorated in polychrome enamels with the prince seated at a palace balcony, a red curtain behind, an inscription-filled cartouche identifying him to his right, a signature to his left, the reverse with a spray of roses and other flowers, the later mount with hinged element to each side, set with diamonds, pearls, a ruby and an emerald 6 x 4.7 cm.

Inscriptions: navvab shahzadeh tahmasb mirza-ye qajar, 'The Highness Tahmsap Mirza, the Qajar Prince', Ghulam 'ali negara-gar, 'Ghulam 'Ali, painter'.

Prince Tahmasp Mirza Mu'ayyid al-Dawlah (d. 1297/1880) was the second son of Muhammad 'Ali Dawlat-shah, a son of Fath'ali Shah and grandson of Fath'ali Shah. He was Governor of various provinces including Kashan, Hamadan, Herat, Kerman, Fars, Kermanshah, Kurdisatn, Malayer, Nahavand and Tuyserkan. He was deputy to the Crown Prince in Tabriz and a member of Majlis-e dar al-shura-ye kubra (M. Bamdad, Dictionary of National Biography of Iran, 1700-1960, vol. 2, Tehran, 1966, pp. 195-200).