Firuzkuh (Iran): Qajar Rock Relief Depicting Fath Ali Shah in Royal Hunt

Object Details

Local Numbers: FSA A.4 2.12.GN.56.07
General: Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.

Creator: Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933
Names: Islamic Archives; Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933; Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970
Collection Creator: Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970

See more items in: Myron Bement Smith Collection; Myron Bement Smith Collection / Series 2: The Islamic Archives / 2.12: Antoin Sevruguin Photographs / 2.12.01: Glass Plate Negatives / Glass Plate Negatives: Sets 1-61

Biographical / Historical: Antoin Sevruguin is one of the early pioneers of commercial photography in Iran. He arrived in Iran from Tbilisi, Georgia in the mid 1870s to set up shop in Ala al-Dawla street in Tehran. From the early days, Sevruguin's studio was trusted both by the Qajar court and by foreign visitors to Iran. Highly regarded for their artistic ingenuity outside Iran, Sevruguin's photographs of 'ethnic types,' architecture and landscape, and depictions of daily life of Tehran found their way into foreign travelogues, magazines and books. As such, he stands alone in a relatively large group of early Iranian photographers for being recognized and celebrated outside the boundaries of the country. Antoin Sevruguin passed away in 1933, leaving behind only a fraction of his large collection of glass negatives, which is currently in the Archives of the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Archival Repository: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

Collection Citation: The Myron Bement Smith Collection, FSA A.04. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Katherine Dennis Smith.

Arrangement: According to Myron B. Smith handwritten document (Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran), Antoin Sevruguin's 696 glass negatives, at the time of their acquisition, were arranged into 61 boxes without any apparent organization. Today they are housed in archival document boxes, essentially duplicating the original arrangement, and stored on shelves. This glass negative was included into "Box 56."

Collection Rights: Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.

Existence and Location of Copies: Gelatin silver print numbered FSA A.6 04.24.017; available in Ernst Herzfeld Papers, Series 4: Photographic Files, 1903-1947.

Bibliography: J. P. Luft, The Qajar Rock Reliefs, Iranian Studies, Vol. 34, No. 1/4, p:33-34

Scope and Contents: "The Shah is surrounded by twenty-one of his sons and courtiers. In the case of the Qajar princes, the names of each is carved beside their head in the relief. The princes are carved in almost identical attires. The date of construction of the relief is estimated to be the twentieth year of Fath Ali Shah's reign in 1817-18. Fath Ali Shah Qajar was the second king of Qajar dynasty in Iran that rulled the country for around 37 years (1797-1834). He was born to Aqa Mohammad Khan Qajar's brother and since Aqa mohammad Khan did not have a child, Fath Ali shah assumed the position of the king upon his death." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]; - FSg curatorial research specialist remark on Antoin Sevruguin photo condition reads, "Top and right edge are chopped off."; - Faded handwritten number (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) reads, "1041."; - Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 56.7: Carving." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]