English: A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ MIRROR CASE WITH THE TRIPLE PORTRAITS OF MUHAMMAD SHAH, HAJJI MIRZA AQASI AND MANUCHIHR KHAN MU'TAMAD AL-DAWLA

QAJAR IRAN, TWO PORTRAITS DATED AH 1260 (?)/1844-45 AD

Of rectangular form, the shutter depicting the Shah enthroned and holding a scepter, a prince standing by his side, a balustrade in the front and a dais opening on a window in the background, a cusped medallion with Shah's title to the upper right corner, his crown inscribed with ma sha' Allah al-mulk li-Allah, the reverse with a standing nobleman in a landscape identified as Mu'tamad al-Dawla Manuchihr Khan and dated AH 1240, the back depicting a seated nobleman in a rich interior identified as Mirza Agha Jannab Hajji (?) and dated AH 1240, an attendant holding a huqqa before him, stained, crackled with areas of light scuffing, otherwise in fair condition 9 x 5 7/8in. (23.1 x 15cm.)

The back of this mirror case depicts Hajji Mirza Aqasi who was Sadr-a A'zam to Muhammad Shah Qajar between 1838 and 1845, a position equivalent to Prime Minister. He had a particular influence over the Shah and he viewed with alarm any rival for the shah's favour. He became worried of the rise of the Babi movement, particularly after he learned that the powerful governor of Isfahan Manuchihr Khan favoured the new religious movement. It is particularly interesting that the reverse of the present mirror case's shutter is painted with a portrait of Mu'tamad al-Dawla Manuchihr Khan.

Originally a war prisoner from Tbilissi, Manuchihr Khan was a eunuch who converted to Islam and entered the service of Fath 'Ali Shah. Benefiting from the Shah's favour, he had a brilliant carreer and was appointed viceroy of the provinces of Kirmanshah, Luristan and Khuzistan and later as governor of Isfahan under Muhammad Shah Qajar. A mirror case in the Brooklyn Museum of Art is painted with a portrait of Manuchihr Khan which can be attributed to Muhammad Isma'il before he was nomimated naqqashbashi or chief painter (http://epoc2.cs.uow.edu.au/brooklyn_r_1000_ws/similarity/index.php?o=9 7174).