Qajar Period, Iran
19th century
Size: 10.5 x 7.2 cm
Sold at Bonhams auction
Sources: [1], [2], [3]
قاب آینه با تصویر شاهد بازی (بچه بازی) دوران قاجار- حراج بونامز
This mirror case is of rectangular form with removable cover, decorated in polychrome and gilt with a spray of roses to the reverse, a perching parrot to the cover and a male couple in an erotic embrace to the interior, the borders with a frieze of scrolling floral vines.As seen on this Qajar era mirror case, one of the male partners is middle aged while the other one seems to be a minor. Historically, pederasty has existed as a variety of customs and practices within different cultures. The status of pederasty has changed over the course of history, at times considered an ideal and at other times a crime.
In Islamic Persia, according to Wikipedia, boy love flourished. The frequent use of the pederastic ideas in Persian art and literature had long become a norm. Western travelers reported that at the court of Shah Abbas I of Safavid Dynasty (some time between 1627 and 1629) they saw evidence of homoerotic practices. Male houses of prostitution called Amrad Khaneh, "houses of the beardless", were legally recognized by the government and paid taxes to the state.