Wooden walking stick, carved and painted with scenes from Persian epic tales, Iran, Qajar period, 1850-1889

The shaft is cylindrical in form and fashioned from a single piece of painted and varnished pearwood, carved with horizontal registers of diverse scenes from Persian epic tales, including Layla and Majnun, as well as images of daily life such as hunting and courtly scenes. The top of the crutch is carved in the face of a young man. Small Persian inscriptions accompany some of the scenes, with each register divided by a solid gold band.

This object was purchased from Major Murdoch Smith for 5 pence, and had previously been part of the Richard Collection. Over the course of 1875, Robert Murdoch Smith (the Museum's agent in Iran) negotiated his first major purchase from Jules Richard, a French art-dealer living in Tehran. This consignment was considerable, with valuable artworks in many media: ceramics, metalwork, woodwork, oil paintings, manuscripts and carved stone. Towards the end of the negotiation, Richard added a further list of objects, many of which were given to the museum for free.

862-1889