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Tehran Auction sells 96 works for record $2.4m in fierce bidding
The 25th Tehran Auction posted a record-breaking 4.643 trillion rials in sales, equivalent to about $2.41 million, after 96 of the 100 works offered went under the hammer at Tehran's Parsian Azadi Hotel on Friday, according to the organizers.
The sale set a new benchmark for Iran's art market, with Sohrab Sepehri's Ofoq-e Rafi' (High Horizon) becoming the most expensive artwork ever sold in the auction's history, IRNA reported.
The result marked a sharp leap from the previous Tehran Auction, which generated 1.472 trillion rials in sales, underscoring sustained demand for Iranian modern, classical and traditional art. The auction featured 100 works by 80 artists, including paintings, calligraphy, sculptures and pictorial carpets, with only four lots remaining unsold.
Sepehri's High Horizon fetched 385 billion rials, or nearly $199,800, at the hammer, eclipsing the auction's previous record. Under Tehran Auction rules, buyers also pay a 10% premium, lifting the artwork's final price to 423.5 billion rials, or roughly $219,800.
The second-highest sale went to Mohammad Ehsai's celebrated calligraphic painting Mohabbat (Affection), which sold for 335 billion rials at the hammer, or about $173,800. Including the buyer's 10% premium, the final price reached 368.5 billion rials, equivalent to about $191,200. An untitled work by Parviz Kalantari ranked third with a final price of 275 billion rials, or approximately $142,700.
Six works crossed the 250-billion-rial threshold, surpassing the previous auction record of 220 billion rials for a single artwork. Overall, 64 works sold for more than 10 billion rials, while 20 works realized prices between 50 billion and 100 billion rials, reflecting robust competition among collectors.
Organizers said 63 buyers participated in the auction, including eight first-time collectors, signaling fresh momentum in Iran's visual arts market. Among female artists, Leyly Matine-Daftary achieved the highest sale, with her untitled work selling for 82 billion rials, reinforcing the growing visibility of women artists in Iran's art scene.
The auction showcased leading figures of Iranian modernism, including Sohrab Sepehri, Bahjat Sadr, Parviz Tanavoli, Aydin Aghdashloo, Mansour Ghandriz, Nasser Assar and Mohammad Ehsai, alongside classical Persian painting, miniature art, calligraphy and traditional pictorial carpets, highlighting the enduring appeal and diversity of Iran's artistic heritage.