Textile fragment

Historical period(s)
Safavid period, early to mid-18th century
Medium
Satin lampas
Dimensions
H x W: 50.8 x 38 cm (20 x 14 15/16 in)
Geography
Iran
Credit Line
Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1986.490
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Costume and Textile
Type

Textile (fragment)

Keywords
bee, butterfly, Henri Vever collection, Iran, parrot, peacock, Safavid period (1501 - 1722)
Provenance

?-1910
Likely Indjoudjian Frères, method of acquisition unknown [1]

1910-1942
Henri Vever (1854-1942), likely purchased from Indjoudjian Frères [2]

1942-1947
Jeanne Louise Monthiers (1861-1947), bequest of Henri Vever [3]

1947-1986
Francois Mautin (1907-2003), bequest of Jeanne Louise Monthiers and Henri Vever [4]

From 1986
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery purchased from Francois Mautin [5]

Notes:

[1] See account ledger referenced in note 2. Vever identifies Indjoudjian Frères as located along rue Le Peletier. Indjoudjian Frères was an antiquities dealership based in Paris and New York, owned by the Armenian-born brothers Agop (1871-1951) and Meguerditch (1884-1927).

[2] An accomplished French jeweler and collector, Henri Vever (1854-1942) amassed a large and impressive collection of works of art during his lifetime. His holdings in Japanese prints and Islamic arts of the books, especially from Iran and India, were among the most important assembled in the early twentieth century.

This textile is likely one of two fragments that Vever purchased from Indjoudjian Frères on December 9, 1910, see Henri Vever Account Ledger, December 9, 1910 FSA A1988.04.2.2.25, from Henri Vever Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Vever describes the textile as "1 étoffe persane à oiseaux, jaune." Vever had the work in his collection at the time of his death in 1942.

[3] Upon Henri Vever's death on September 25, 1942, his wife, Jeanne Louise Monthiers inherited the fabric. See exhibits F and G of Agreement of Purchase and Sale of the Henri Vever Collection, January 9, 1986, copy in object file.

[4] Upon the death of Jeanne Louise Monthiers, as stipulated in the will of Henri Vever, the family's assets were divided evenly between his two grandchildren. His only grandson, Francois Mautin inherited the collection known as "The Henri Vever Collection of Oriental Art and Manuscripts Including Persian and Indian Art and Manuscripts." This fabric is part of that collection. See exhibits F and G as cited in note 3.

[5] The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery purchased the entirety of the collection from Francois Mautin on January 9, 1986. See purchase agreement, copy in object file.

Research completed May 4, 2022.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Indjoudjian Freres
Henri Vever 1854-1942
Jeanne Louise Monthiers 1861-1947
Francois Mautin 1907-2003

Published References
  • The Fascination of Persia: The Persian-European Dialogue in Seventeenth-Century Art & Contemporary Art of Teheran. Exh. cat. Zürich. Cat. 134, p. 233.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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