Steel, gold
Persia, 17th to 19th Century
Partially pierced decor
Traces of gilding
Some with old collection number (F.R. Martin)
Length: 15.3 to 23 cm
Weight: approx. 23 to 147 grams
Good state of preservation
Provenance: ex-collection F.R. Martin, thence Austrian private collection

This set comprises a large pair of scissors, crafted in Persia in the 17th Century, with a curved open-work handle. Traces of a noble gilding are visible. In addition there are a small pair of scissors with a finely pierced decor and a slender, sober pair of scissors. Both were made in 18th or 19th Century Iran. The concave blades are characteristic of so-called calligrapher’s shears used to cut and shape the paper of important letters.



The shears are in a good state of preservation with the usual signs of age. There is minor corrosion, the large scissors show visible abrasion to the gilding. The small scissors measure 15.3 cm in length and have a total weight of approximately 23 grams. The medium-sized scissors measure 22.8 cm in length and have a total weight of approximately 54 grams. The large scissors measure 23 cm in length and have a total weight of approximately 147 grams.



Collection F.R. Martin

At the turn of the Century the Swedish scholar and art historian Fredrik Robert Martin (1868-1933) travelled through much of Persia. By the 1920s he had compiled an extensive and historically important collection of Islamic art, illustrating the craftsmanship of bygone dynasties. During his lifetime F.R. Martin authored many books on the subject of Islamic arts and crafts. Many of the items from the collection, about which an extensive catalogue was published, are nowadays held in the Medelhavsmuseet and the Ethnographical Museum in Stockholm.

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