Nasr al-Din Shah Qajar (reg. 1848-96) Qajar Persia, circa 1880Nasr al-Din Shah Qajar (reg. 1848-96) Qajar Persia, circa 1880watercolour and gouache on paper, oval 15 x 11.5 cm.Comparison can be drawn with another oval portrait of Nasr al-Din Shah (though much larger, at 90.5 x 62 cm.), by Abu'l Hasan Ghaffari III (Yahya), dated AH 1291/AD 1874-75, in which the Shah wears the same style of European-cut, wide-lapelled coat, and the same string-like necktie (as well as the typical plumed black hat). In our painting he looks slightly older than in this 1874 work (for which see Christie's, Islamic Art and Manuscripts, 11th April 2000, lot 109).Both paintings are probably based on a portrait photograph. We can suggest a date for our painting of the 1880s, both from the Shah's apparent age, and also from comparison with contemporary carte de visites (see for example J. Y. Chi (ed.), The Eye of the Shah: Qajar Court Photography and the Persian Past, New York 2015, p. 7, no. 2, dated circa 1880-90.Important Notice to BuyersSome countries e.g., the US, prohibit or restrict the purchase by its citizens (wherever located) and/or the import of certain types of Iranian-origin works. As a convenience to buyers, Bonhams has marked with the symbol R all lots of Iranian (Persian) origin. It is each buyer's responsibility to ensure that they do not bid or import a lot in contravention of the sanctions or trade embargoes that apply to them.