QAJAR PERIOD (1785–1925)
1796 Agha Mohammad Khan is crowned as shah and becomes the founder of the new Qahar dynasty, a position reinforced by his nephew, Fath-Ali Shah Qajar
19th century Fath-Ali Shah Qajar’s reign (1797–1834) is not particularly successful as he has to grapple with the Russian invasion of the Caucasus, but he is a strong supporter of the arts. He is the frequent subject of portraits, and painted art also appears on small everyday objects. Qajar art is distinctive for its diversity of colour appearing not only in portraiture, but also in decorative watercolour and goache applied to small wooden and paper objects and in the enamelling used on metal objects. Traditional materials such as copper, pewter, iron, and brass remain popular in metalwork; artisans often seek inspiration from earlier patterns. Nineteenth-century Iranian arts and crafts are typified by the revival of forms and ornamentation from the Safavid period (1501–1722). Decorative designs are composed of geometric and foliate motifs; figurative decorations are often used, depicting human figures and fantastical beasts from Persian mythology and epic poems. Royal symbols frequently appear in ornamentation, such as suns, lions, and lions fighting with dragons or wild beasts.
1925 The Qajar dynasty is replaced by the Pahlavi dynasty (JMl)