News in Brief
Iran, Georgia stress developing cultural cooperation
MEHR – Top cultural officials from Iran and Georgia met in Tbilisi to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between the two nations in science and culture.
During the meeting, Iran’s Ambassador to Georgia, Mahmoud Adib, and Iranian Cultural Attaché Ahmad-Ali Mehri-Ardestani, held talks with the President of Georgia’s Caucasus University, Kakha Shengelia, to explore opportunities for bilateral cooperation and the development of joint programs in science, culture, art, education, and research for Iranian and Georgian students.
Shengelia highlighted the efforts of Caucasus University to promote Iranian culture in Georgia through the attraction of Iranian university students, while Adib emphasized the historical and cultural similarities between the two countries, calling for greater collaboration in the form of student and professor exchanges, as well as training programs. Moreover, Adib expressed Tehran’s readiness to provide scholarships to Georgian university students to pursue advanced degrees in various fields in Iran.
Iran’s Timurid painting sold at Christie’s £781,000
ISNA – A Timurid painting, titled ‘Baysunghur in the Guise of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba’, belonging to the first half of 15th century, went under the hammer and realized £781,200 at the Christie’s London.
The artwork with an estimate of £150,000-200,000, was sold over four times its low estimate. The painting captures the regal grandeur of a royal court scene, and is one of the earliest depictions of what later became a popular subject in Persian painting.
A total of 32 Iranian works were sold at the Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds including Oriental Rugs and Carpets sale which took place live at Christie’s London on April 27, realizing a total of £8,496,838.
The sale comprised 240 lots including striking examples of manuscripts, paintings, ceramics, metalwork, and carpets from across the Islamic and Indian worlds.