A vibrant Qajar-era painted ceramic tile depicting an energetic equestrian scene. At the center, a horseman in traditional attire is shown mid-gallop, his body leaning forward with dynamic motion. He wears a pale blue tunic with yellow trim, a green belt, and a distinctive rose-colored turban. In his raised right hand he brandishes a long staff topped with a stylized blue flame or tassel, rendered in deep cobalt tones typical of Qajar ceramic palettes.

The horse beneath him is painted in warm brown with lively detailing—its lifted forelegs, expressive eye, and swept tail capture the sense of speed and movement. Surrounding the rider are stylized green shrubs and tufts of vegetation, adding a lively natural backdrop. To the right, two pink minaret-like towers with blue domed tops anchor the composition and may suggest an architectural setting.

یک کاشی سرامیکیِ نقاشی‌شده از دورهٔ قاجار که صحنه‌ای پرانرژی از سوارکاری را نشان می‌دهد. در مرکز، یک سوار با پوشش سنتی در حال تاخت دیده می‌شود؛ بدن او کمی به جلو خم شده و حرکتش کاملاً پویاست. او شنلی آبیِ کم‌رنگ با حاشیهٔ زرد، کمربند سبز، و عمامه‌ای صورتی‌رنگ بر سر دارد. در دست راستِ بلندش، چوب‌دستی بلندی را نگه داشته که نوک آن شعله یا منگوله‌ای آبی‌رنگ و تزیینی دارد؛ طرحی که با تنالیتهٔ لاجوردیِ پررنگ، ویژگی رایج کاشی‌های قاجاری است.

اسبِ زیر پای او با رنگ قهوه‌ای گرم و جزئیات زنده نقاشی شده است—پاهای جلوی بلند شده، چشم پرتحرک، و دُمی که به عقب کشیده شده حس سرعت و حرکت را نشان می‌دهد. اطراف سوار، بوته‌ها و گیاهان سبزِ تزیینی دیده می‌شود که پس‌زمینه‌ای طبیعی و زنده ایجاد کرده‌اند. در سمت راست، دو برج شبیه مناره با رنگ صورتی و گنبدهای آبی، ترکیب‌بندی را تکمیل می‌کنند و ممکن است نشانه‌ای از یک فضای معماری باشند.

Une tuile céramique de l’époque qajare vivement peinte, représentant une scène équestre pleine d’énergie. Au centre, un cavalier en tenue traditionnelle est figuré au galop, le corps incliné vers l’avant dans un mouvement dynamique. Il porte une tunique bleu pâle bordée de jaune, une ceinture verte et un turban rose distinctif. Dans sa main droite levée, il brandit un long bâton surmonté d’une flamme ou d’un panache stylisé bleu, rendu dans les tons cobalt profonds caractéristiques des palettes céramiques qajares.

Le cheval, peint dans un brun chaud avec un décor expressif — antérieurs levés, œil marqué, queue flottante — transmet une forte impression de vitesse et de mouvement. Autour du cavalier se trouvent des arbustes stylisés et des touffes de végétation en vert, formant un arrière-plan naturel animé. À droite, deux tours rosées semblables à des minarets, coiffées de dômes bleus, ancrent la composition et suggèrent un cadre architectural.

Qajar Ceramics

Tiling and ceramics in the Qajar era (1789 - 1925) reflect both continuity with earlier Iranian traditions and significant innovation shaped by new aesthetic and technological influences. Archaeological and architectural studies show that Qajar workshops expanded the use of haft-rang (seven-color) tiles, underglaze-painted tiles, and molded relief tiles for mosques, palaces, madrasas, and public buildings. Qajar artisans frequently employed cobalt blue, turquoise, yellow, and black glazes, combining them with floral scrolls, arabesques, calligraphic bands, and figural themes.

The visual language of Qajar tiling and ceramics demonstrates a distinctive fusion of Iranian iconographic traditions and European artistic elements introduced through trade and diplomacy. At the same time, religious architecture preserved more conservative programs, with Qur’anic inscriptions, geometric patterns, and vegetal ornament dominating mosque façades and shrine complexes.

Qajar Dynasty

The Qajar dynasty emerged in the late eighteenth century during a period of political disunity that followed the collapse of earlier Iranian polities. Nevertheless, chronic financial weakness, regional rivalries, and the strategic pressures exerted by Russian and British imperial expansion significantly restricted the autonomy of the Iranian state. The Qajar period generated a rich visual and material culture documented through chronicles, official correspondence, photography, and surviving objects. Court painting developed a distinctive style that blended Safavid visual traditions with certain European elements such as perspective, shading, and portrait naturalism. At the same time, artisans produced a wide range of luxury objects - gilded and enameled metalwork, jewel-studded arms, lacquered mirror cases, and richly woven textiles - reflecting both continuity with earlier Iranian craftsmanship and an eagerness to engage with global aesthetic currents.

Provenance: Gold Coast Auctioneers (2000s); Private NYC Collection (1960s)

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