Farmanfarmaian’s “Magnified Sacred” sells for nearly €190,000 at Bonhams

TEHRAN –(Iranart)- Iranian artist Monir Farmanfarmaian’s mirror work “The Magnified Sacred” fetched €188,295 at the Bonhams auction in London on Thursday, becoming the second top seller at the Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern (West Asian) Art sales.

“Divine Horses” by Iraqi artist Kadhim Hayder from his Marty’s Epic series took the first place, earning €278,922.
 
Works by artists from Syria, Egypt and Iraq were offered in the art sales.

96 lots were offered, some of which belonged to Iranian artists and at high prices.

“Gold Leaf Bowl with Green Hue”, a painting by Farhad Moshiri sold for €69,782, and an untitled painting by Sirak Melkonian was sold at €90,696.

Sohrab Sepehri’s untitled painting from the Tree Trunk Series sold for €125,553, and the “Still Life” by Manoucher Yektai went for €125,553.

The modern and contemporary West Asian art market has experienced significant growth since the category began gaining recognition among collectors regionally and globally over the past decade. 

Twentieth-century Arab and Iranian art has witnessed an extraordinary development that is in keeping with the rich artistic legacy of the region and is reflected in the world’s long-standing fascination and interest in West Asian art and culture.

Bonhams has maintained a significant international presence in the market since the early years of its development. During their inaugural sale of modern West Asian art in Dubai in 2008, Bonhams broke 33 world records and witnessed the first West Asian artwork to achieve an auction sale of over one million dollars; Farhad Moshiri’s stunning mixed media work “Eshq” (Love).

Since then, Bonhams has firmly established itself as one of the leading auction houses in the category, holding regular bi-annual sales first in Dubai and now in London, in recognition of the growing international market for art from West Asia and surrounding regions.

source: Tehran Times