Pen Box with Flowers and Birds 1776 - 1777

Curator: This is a pen box with flowers and birds attributed to Ali Ashraf. Editor: It's surprisingly ornate for a pen box. There's a somber, almost burnt umber tone to it, despite all the floral decoration. Curator: The flowers and birds, though small, are powerful symbols of paradise and prosperity in Persian art. One can see the cultural continuity in their stylized depiction. Editor: True, but I wonder about the function of such a lavish object. Was it a display of wealth, or an affirmation of the owner’s social status within a highly stratified society? Curator: It could be both. Symbols often operate on multiple levels. The pen itself was a tool of power and literacy. Editor: And, of course, access to literacy has always been unevenly distributed. It gives me pause to think about who had access to such a beautiful object. Curator: Indeed. It prompts us to consider the larger narrative of art's role within the structures of power. Editor: Well, it's certainly given me food for thought today.