Sotheby UK’s Contemporary Arab and Iranian Art collection grossed over £1.5 million and sold 76 pieces out of the 86 on sale.

‘Oo Bakshandeh Ast’, left, by Mohammed Ehsai fetched the top price of £106,100, a stunning calligraphic work by the Iranian master.  ‘Oo Bakshandeh Ast’ translates as ‘Oh Magnificent Provider’, one of the 99 names for Allah.  This amazing collection was brought together by a highly specialised curating team.   The collection is an incredible testament to the sheer diversity of contemporary art from the region.

Ranging from the political like Mounir Fatmi’s witty installation, ‘Save Manhattan’, below right, which sold for £12,500.  To the classic calligraphic works of ‘Oo Bakshandeh Ast’, above, and the masterful work of classical precision and beauty, ‘Untitled’, two below, by Moneer Al Shaarani which fetched £9,375.

‘Save Manhattan’ projects light over books whose shadow becomes the New York skyline.  The source of the shadow for the Twin Towers are two copies of the Koran.  The tower blocks to the left of the Twin Towers are hawkish books on the war on terror ,while those on the right deal with the 9/11 conspiracy theories.

Morrocan “pop” artist and Kazbah favourite, Hassan Hajjaj generated press interest with his image ‘Odalisque’, left, which sold for £12,500, reminiscent of Olympia by Manet, though with a lot more humour.

Finally we bring you, bottom left, abstraction from  Nabil Nahas, ‘Orpheus’ which fetched £25,700, bottom middle the glitzy tile work with in a tile work of glass, ‘Floating Hexagon’ by Monir Faramfaramain which was sold for £13,700 and the Hieronymus Bosch-like, ‘Nuit Blanche au Vieux Porte’ by Halim Karabibene which went for £8,125.

The collection is a credit to Sotheby’s for master minding such a fabulous auction.

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