Persian penbox, or is it?

[Drabant1701]

I have bought my first penbox. The box is about 20 cm long. I have seen painted persian penboxes before but they have never really interested me. Then I saw this steel penbox with gold koftgari and I could not resist it.

I do think that the box i persian but I suppose it could also be from India. I was hoping that someone who sees this could tell me if the script is persian, or some other arabic language so that I could find someone to translate it.

[colin henshaw]

Not sure whether Persian or Indian (probably Persian ?), but its a beautiful piece. Congratulations.

Hope another forumite can be more precise and translate.

[Battara]

Funny.........I was leaning toward India.

Very nice. Would post pictures of the inside of the box please?

[mariusgmioc]

Classic Persian pen boxes are drawer type (I would post some photos but I am now in Persia and travelling around) and made of lacquered wood.

How does yours open?

The script is either Persian or Arabic, but that was also used in the Mughal India. Yet, I don' t know exactly why, but yours doesn't make me think about India. Maybe Caucasus area?! :shrug:

Anyhow, it is a very beautiful piece but not very old (20th century at best).

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Islamic Penboxes are such an interesting subject I thought to enlarge upon it since there is a good variety of styles, materials and surface decoration and as already described in the case of Persian types quite a lot of the lacquered form....although bronze brass and precious metal items with intricate inlay also exist.

For a page full of penboxes down the ages see \https://www.google.com/search?biw=1366&bih=662&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=persian+metal+penbox&oq=persian+metal+penbox&gs_l=img.12...549592.553873.0.555989.14.11.0.0.0.0 .0.0..0.0....0...1c.1.64.img..14.0.0.NtYk8aRQT-E&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.&dpr=1&ech=1&psi=DOYBWe7nM4q0a6y6g7gG.1493296663912.3&ei=RegBWZK2FsKna5H0lPAG&emsg=NCSR&noj=1#imgrc=gSaeq-6tknNiUM:

And below...

[Drabant1701]

Funny.........I was leaning toward India.

Very nice. Would post pictures of the inside of the box please?

Thank you all for your comments. I have taken som pictures of the inside of the box. Not as fancy on the inside though :)

[Oliver Pinchot]

It's Ottoman, c. 1850. Nice example

[mariusgmioc]

Double message deleted

[mariusgmioc]

Thank you Ibrahiim for the photos! They are true works of art! :)

Thank you Oliver for pinninig it! :)