Mīrzā ʿAbd al-Razzāq Faġfurī: Master of Persian Tilework in the Late Qajar and Early Pahlavi Period

Abstract Mīrzā ʿAbd al-Razzāq Faġfurī was the most prolific tile-painting artist in Shiraz of the late Qajar and early Pahlavi periods. Exercising a great influence on subsequent tile artists, he became an identification figure of Qajar narrative tilework and contributed decisively to the visual culture of the Qajar period. This study investigates ʿAbd al-Razzāq’s life and career, his signature work, his traditional tile workshop and his main apprentices. It classifies and analyzes the themes and narratives depicted by ʿAbd al-Razzāq on the tile panels and explores his unique visual vocabulary. Moreover, the architectural structures decorated with ʿAbd al-Razzāq’s tile paintings will be briefly discussed.