Pen box with scenes from Nizami's tale of Bahram Gur and the Seven Princesses 1878 - 1879

Curator: Oh, look, a pen box adorned with scenes! It’s by Muhammad Kazim ibn Najaf `Ali, and it illustrates Nizami’s tale of Bahram Gur and the Seven Princesses. Editor: It’s surprisingly...contained. The small scale amplifies the intimacy of each scene. It’s like looking through a jeweled peephole into these little worlds. Curator: Exactly! Think of the artisan, carefully applying pigment, likely tempera or lacquer, to craft not just a functional object, but a portable story. Each panel is a glimpse into a different princess's realm. Editor: I’m drawn to the repetition of form, those scalloped cartouches—they really underscore the box's function as a handmade object, mediating utility and visual storytelling. But what was the pen made of? Curator: Perhaps reed, perhaps metal. This box held the tools to create more stories, more art! It’s a lovely little echo chamber. Editor: Right, art creating art. And now, we’re interpreting it, too. I guess the chain keeps going!