TEHRAN -- “Iranian Paradise”, a carpet woven by artists in Kashmar, fetching 150 billion rials (Over $4.2 million) at the First Specialized Carpet Auction in Tehran on Friday, was the most expensive work sold at the sale.   

“Darab Battle” created by weavers from Tehran over a century ago was the second most expensive carpet sold at the auction. It was sold for 64 billion rials (over $1.8 million) at the carpet sale organized at the National Auction House. 

The third most expensive carpet was “Sultan Masud”, a recently-woven carpet made by artists from Tabriz. The carpet was purchased for 20 billion rials (over $560,000).

Twenty-one carpets were sold at the auction grossing over 300 billion rials (over $8.5 million).

A large number of Iranian celebrities were seen among the Persian carpet aficionados who attended the auction. 

Ahmad Najafi, the star of Javad Shamaqdari’s 1996 political drama “The Sandstorm” about “Operation Eagle Claw”, was the auctioneer of the sale.

Photo: The employees of the Specialized Carpet Auction hold a carpet during the first edition of the sale at the National Auction House in Tehran on August 26, 2016. Auctioneer Ahmad Najafi is also seen in the photo. (YJC/Mitra Samavaki)

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