Lot 158: A PERSIAN SEATED MODEL OF A SUFI DERVISH, 20TH CENTURY

A detailed mixed-media ethnographic model representing a Sufi dervish or faqir, depicted in a contemplative cross-legged seated position. The figure features a head, hands, and feet constructed from a moulded and hand-painted composition or wax, exhibiting realistic skin tones and anatomical details including forehead wrinkles and defined digits. It is further detailed with natural black hair for the thick eyebrows and a long, flowing beard. The figure is clad in a loose-fitting white linen or cotton khirqa (robe). The head is surmounted by a tall, four-paneled felt taj (hat) bordered with vertical brown velvet-textured bands. Each panel of the hat is decorated with ink-drawn calligraphy within arched surrounds. The front panel bears the invocation Ya Ali (O Ali) and the reverse panel reads Ya Allah (O Allah), with additional religious script to the side panels, consistent with Persian Shia Sufi iconography.

H: 33cm