Cleveland Museum of Art

Octagonal Mirror Case with Lid

Date

1800s

Medium

Varnished lacquer and opaque watercolor over papier-mâché

Culture

Iran, probably Isfahan, Qajar period (1779–1925)

Department

Islamic Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

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 fashion.

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