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Farsi Rarity -- Persian edition of the Fred Rose Serio-Comic War map

Fine multi-color example of the rare Farsi - Fred Rose Serio-Comic War map, apparently published in Iran during the reign of Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar as Shah of Iran.

The present map is one of the rarest of the Serio-Comic map images.  The map derives from the Fred W. Rose Serio Comic War Map for the Year 1877.  One of several maps by Fred Rose in this them, the iconic depiction of Russia as an Octopus would become the most famous of the series, and an enduring image for the next several decades.  As noted by Roderick Barron in his essay on Fred Rose

. . . the Tory position on the "Eastern Question" was that Turkey should be supported, almost of necessity, as a geopolitical counterweight to the expansionist power of Russia, not least as a means of safeguarding British access to the recently constructed Suez Canal, a communications lifeline to British Imperial India.  Turkish power and influence was seen as a potential buffer agaisnt Russian threats in Persia, Central Asia and long the Indian Raj's northern frontiers.

As noted in an article in the York Herald of June 7, 1877, Russia is represented as an octopus, extending her arms out in every direction. Turkey is shown as a fully dressed "Oriental," dagger in hand, trying to ward off two Russian tentacles on his waist and leg, with another around the neck of the Shah of Iran (Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar).  Austria (female figure) is holding back Hungary.  Greece is shown as a crab, clinging to Turkey.  Italy is shown as a woman with roller skates, dangling the Pope like a puppet.  England William Ewart Gladstone, with a Scottish Highlander atop his head, trailed by Ireland, shown as a Home Rule priest.  Spain is a young sleeping boy, with a small Portuguese friar at its feet.  Germany is shown as a massive image of Frederick III.

Rose's map would soon be copied in a number of places and languages, including Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Japan, and United States, along with derivations of the image in Italy and France.  The Italian publisher Augusto Grossi of Bologna produced a derivative in his Il Papagallo and Le Perroquet which would form the basis for this rare Persian language version of the map.  The Shah himself may have seen a version of the map during his visit to Paris in 1877-78.

The inscriptions in Farsi translate as follows:

• Iran is observing all the world but doesn’t benefit or lose in this observing, we will see what it looks like upon waking.
• Moscow is enduring times of estrangement
• Russia doesn’t know what to do
• Germany eyes locked to its neighbor
• Ottoman Empire is split in the middle and is caught in the claws of a pure animal
• Austria is busy looking after Hungary in its own right while Hungary wants to proceed forward
• France enlightens the heartfelt intentions of the world
• England All in a hurry to get a move on so it won’t be left behind 
• Greece is a sea creature that wants to enter land
• Italy is slipping in some direction
• Switzerland is an old log cabin which wolves hold in respect
• Denmark is only maintaining the pawns of the sea
• Sweden and Norway are too fast asleep to do anything
• Holland no more to the eye than an old mill
• Belgium akin to gold and a golden silver party
• Portugal always keeps up itself and its appearance

Rarity

We note that there have been two examples on the market in the past decade.  However, both examples were heavily faded.

We have been unable to locate any institutional examples.