The 2nd Iranian National Traditional Art Auction in Tehran on Friday (October 9) is expected to break the sales record of the previous round of the event.
The auction at Rayzan International Conference Center in northern Tehran, will bring works of veteran Iranian artists under the hammer, Mehr News Agency reported.
The most valuable works in focus at this year’s event include a leather art by Mirza Aqa Emami whose base price is set at around $220,000 and it is expected to be sold for more than $295,000.
A miniature painting by master of Persian painting and miniatures Mahmoud Farshchian is estimated to fetch more than $100,000. A painting canvas by Aydin Aghdashloo, painter and graphic designer is priced at $44,000 and a miniature work by Kamaleddin Behzad, has a $30,000 tag.
Two works from Hossein Qollar-Aqasi, painter and developer of Iranian traditional Coffee Shop Painting are priced $15,000 and $24,000 respectively. In addition, two calligraphy works by Mir-Emad Heravi will also go under the hammer.
The works of Mir Emad Hassani, the most celebrated calligrapher, Mirza Aqa Emami, Isfahani painter and Mir-Ali, prominent calligrapher are also for sale.
The 1st edition of the National Art Auction held in October 2014 fetched $1.7 million for 44 masterpieces.
National auctions can help promote genuine artworks while thwarting mock art sales that present fake and worthless stuff, said Bahman Namvar Motlaq, art deputy of the Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO), on the eve of the auction.
Iran has high artistic potentials. Despite the fact that global auctions commercialize art, domestic art has not received much attention and no strategic plan for art auctions has been devised so far, he said, IRNA reported.
The auction is organized to compensate for the low earnings at regular art exhibitions. Conventionally, a collection of items is displayed for art lovers and visitors and the odds are high that many works of art will be sold. In addition, the occasional art auctions have been exclusive to antique items or modern works, leaving no room for contemporary traditional art.
“The event is organized to boost Iranian traditional art market and sales,” he said.
Pointing to the global importance of art, he emphasized the crucial role of auctions in driving artistic masterpieces into international markets. Although auctions are a new phenomenon in Iran, the world of art has become prominent enough to hold the annual event in other cities as well, besides Tehran.
The government has no role in the auction and it is organized by the private sector. Several private entities in other cities have sought permission to host such events in the future, he noted.
Pointing to the originality of the items, Namvar said the process involves the authentication of the artworks after a thorough study by art specialists certified by the ICHHTO. Once authenticated, they are artistically evaluated and priced.
Over 60 foreign art collectors and specialists will participate in the event for both purchasing and getting familiar with Iranian traditional works of art.
