Pen Box with the Virgin and Child, and Parrots in Medallions 1905 - 1906

Curator: This lacquered pen box, likely from the late 18th century, was crafted by Muhammad Baqir and features the Virgin and Child flanked by parrots in medallions. The box is incredibly small, only about 22 centimeters long. Editor: My first impression is one of cultural exchange. The iconic Christian image of the Virgin is juxtaposed with the parrots which are more commonly found in the decorative arts from the East. Curator: Precisely. The Virgin and Child is a potent symbol in Christianity, representing maternal love and divine grace. Placed within a different cultural context, it speaks to the interconnectedness of human experience, of shared spiritual aspirations. Editor: And that’s particularly interesting given its function as a pen box, a quotidian, functional object. What does it mean to elevate a humble tool through such culturally loaded images and painstaking materials? Curator: Perhaps it infuses the act of writing, of creating, with a sense of the sacred. The parrots, too, have varied symbolic weight across cultures, often linked to intelligence, beauty, and even divine messages. Editor: I see this object as evidence of global trade and the movement of materials, skills, and ideas. But it’s also a document of religious syncretism, the mixing of faith traditions. Curator: It really allows us to reflect on how symbols transcend borders. Editor: Yes, it shows us how the material world reflects the movement of ideas.