Imperial Presentation Silver Box

Persia (Iran), Isfahan, mid-20th century

Of square form, the hinged lid finely chased in high relief with a gol-o-morgh composition of herons wading among flowering plants, with birds and a central bird of paradise on a ring-matted ground, within a border of flowerheads. The sides chased with a continuous band of floral cartouches, on four bracket feet. With small stamped marks to the lid border.

Presented by the Court of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi to Dean Bacher, of the Waldorf Astoria, New York, furrier by royal appointment, on the occasion of the royal wedding, 1959; a private American collection; by whom given to the present owner. Accompanied by a copy of a letter from a subsequent owner recording the gift.

Dein-Bacher of the Waldorf Astoria were New York furriers of the 1940s and 1950s, with salons at the hotel and on Lincoln Road, Miami Beach; their seasonal showings at the Waldorf were reported in The New York Times. By family account, the firm's clients included Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Grace of Monaco, as well as members of the Imperial Court of Iran.