A mid-20^th century Iranian (Persian) silver cigarette box, Isfahan circa 1950 mark of Bagher Parvaresh (c.1910-1978, master 1928)

Pahlavi dynasty, of rectangular form with a hinged lid with cavetto edge, all raised on four short bracket feet. The lid decorated with a cluster of deep chased monabbat-kari peonies, centred with a peony quatrefoil, edged with a border of foliate scrolls and rosettes. The side with engraved ghalam zani decoration of peonies within arabesques interspaced with vignettes infilled with foliate forms, all reserved with ring punching and texturing. Marked underneath with standard mark (84), workshop mark and retailer’s mark.

Length –20.4 cm / 8 inches

Weight – 467 grams / 15.01 ozt

Bagher Parvaresh, master 1928, worked at West Char Bagh Street then in 1937 moved to a larger workshop and storefront on East Char Bagh, working there until his death in 1978. He founded Ishfahan’s Goldsmiths and Silversmith Guild in 1954 and is the patriarch on the famous Parvaresh line of silversmiths. Reza Parvaresh, older son of Mohammad Bagher Parvaresh and Husain Parvaresh is his youngest son.