TEHRAN – An untitled painting by Sohrab Sepehri sold at 17th Tehran Auction on Friday for 213 billion rials ($426,000) establishing a new record for an artwork in national sales.

The 80x130-centimeter oil painting was created in the 1960s and was gifted to previous owner by UK-based Iranian filmmaker and literary figure Ebrahim Golestan.

Sepehri’s another painting also fetched 124 billion rials ($248,000), making it the third most expensive work sold in the auction. 

The 72x72-centimeter oil painting done in the 1960s is from Sepehri’s Tree Trunk series. 

The second most expensive work sold at the sale was a 130x320-centimeter untitled oil painting by Kurosh Shishegaran. It sold for 170 billion rials ($340,000).

The 17th edition of the Tehran Auction collected 2.1 trillion rials ($4.2 million) by selling 100 artworks.

Only 10 works, including a photo print by world-renowned Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, an oil painting by Jazeh Tabatabai and a bronze sculpture by Bahman Dadkhah failed to find a buyer at the auction.

The 16th edition of the Tehran Auction fetched 781 billion rials (over $2.44 million based on Iran’s free-market exchange rate: $1 = 320,060 rials at that time) by selling 117 artworks at its second sales of the year.

“The Simorgh Hunting”, a mixed media on canvas by Reza Derakhshani, sold for 80 billion rials (about $ 250,000), a price that made it the most expensive artwork sold at the national sale.

The 198x625-centimeter painting done in 2016 is from Derakhshani’s series “Hunting”, which has been inspired by elements from Iranian miniature – Persian painting and stories from Persian literature.

The 15th edition of the Tehran Auction collected 1588.9 billion rials (over $5.9 million based on Iran’s free-market exchange rate: $1 = 265,660 rials at that time). All 80 artworks offered at this auction were sold.

“Seated Poet”, a bronze sculpture by Parviz Tanavoli, sold at the auction for 146 billion rials (about $550,000) setting a record for an artwork in national sales.

The 14th Tehran Auction took in 421.8 billion rials (about $1.6 million based on Iran’s free-market exchange rate: $1 = 246,000 rials).

The 13th Tehran Auction grossed about 880 billion rials (about $4 million based on Iran’s free-market exchange rate: $1 = 221,000 rials). 

Photo: Sohrab Sepehri’s untitled oil painting that was the top seller at the 17th Tehran Auction at the Parsian Hotel in Tehran on July 21, 2023, fetching $426,000.

ABU/