ArtDayMe:  The 26th edition of Tehran Auction, dedicated to Iranian modern and contemporary art, was held on October 16, 2026, at the Parsian Azadi Hotel in Tehran. With all 100 lots sold for a total of IRR 1,196.91 billion, the auction recorded a significant result for Iran’s art market.

According to Tehran Auction’s Public Relations Department, the event took place on Friday evening, October 16, in the presence of a large gathering of collectors, artists, and media representatives, with Shahriar Rabbani serving as auctioneer. Many followers also watched the event online through websites and social media platforms.

The 26th auction presented 100 works by 93 artists, comprising 86 paintings, 12 sculptures, and two photographs. All 100 lots were sold, demonstrating collectors’ interest in the work of Iranian artists and supporting the continued development of Iran’s art market.

One of the most significant highlights was a two-meter sculpture from Parviz Tanavoli’s iconic Heech series. Offered at auction for the first time, the work achieved a final price of $1,184,615, setting a new record for the most expensive work sold at Tehran Auction.

The auction also featured outstanding works by modernist artists, including Monir (Shahroudy) Farmanfarmaian, Koorosh Shishegaran, Abolghasem Saidi, Mohammad Ehsai, and Hossein Zenderoudi. These works achieved prices that surpassed previous records at the auction, raising the benchmark for Iranian modern art.

Other prominent figures represented included Mansour Ghandriz, Aydin Aghdashloo, Manouchehr Yektai, Massoud Arabshahi, Sadegh Tabrizi, Farideh Lashai, and Leyly Matin Daftari, alongside a notable selection of contemporary Iranian art that attracted considerable interest from collectors.

Another significant achievement was the sale of six works for more than IRR 42 billion each, surpassing the previous Tehran Auction record associated with Sohrab Sepehri’s painting High Horizon.

The total sales of IRR 1,196.91 billion demonstrated Tehran Auction’s continued role in stimulating Iran’s art market as part of the broader investment landscape and in helping balance the value of Iranian artworks between domestic and international markets.

Across 26 editions over the past 14 years, Tehran Auction has sought to strengthen the culture of collecting, stimulate Iran’s art economy, and increase the market value of artistic production. The auction house has helped create conditions in which domestic demand for artworks can compete more effectively with international markets.

A total of 40 buyers participated in this edition, including six who entered the art market for the first time.

The Top Lots of the 26th Tehran Auction

Parviz Tanavoli’s Heech sculpture led the auction with a final price of $1,184,615. An untitled work from Monir (Shahroudy) Farmanfarmaian’s mirror-work series ranked second, selling for $507,692, followed by Koorosh Shishegaran’s Inside, Outside, which achieved $385,000.

An untitled work by Abolghasem Saidi sold for $279,231, while a calligraphic painting by Mohammad Ehsai achieved $211,538. An untitled work by Hossein Zenderoudi followed at $203,077, placing these works among the highest-priced lots of the auction.

Four additional works sold for more than $100,000 each: a work by Mansour Ghandriz at $139,615; Aydin Aghdashloo’s Memories of Destruction: In Praise of Rosso Fiorentino at $131,154; Parviz Tanavoli’s sculpture Poet and Lion’s Bone at $122,692; and an untitled work by Farideh Lashai at $118,462.

Ten Works Sell for Approximately $40,000 to $100,000

Ten works in this price category attracted considerable competition among bidders.

Mohammad Ehsai’s The Pictorial Recital of Allah sold for $101,538, while Wahed Khakdan’s Travel achieved $76,154. Manouchehr Yektai’s untitled painting sold for $63,462, and an untitled work by Massoud Arabshahi reached $61,346.

A second work by Massoud Arabshahi achieved $55,000, matching the final prices of an untitled work by Sadegh Tabrizi and Shahriar Ahmadi’s Untitled from the Memories of the 1st Century A.H. series.

Other works included an untitled painting by Mehrdad Mohebali at $42,308, Hamed Sadr Arhami’s The Kingdom of Heaven at $42,308, and an untitled work by Parviz Kalantari at $40,192.

Ten Works Sell for Approximately $20,000 to $40,000

Ten works achieved prices within this range, reflecting continued demand for works by established and contemporary Iranian artists.

Amir Massoud Akhavan Jam’s Nature VII sold for $38,077, while an untitled work by Aydin Aghdashloo achieved $31,731. Leyly Matin Daftari’s untitled work sold for $29,615, as did an untitled work by Siamak Azmi.

Sadegh Tabrizi’s untitled work and Rezvan Sadeghzadeh’s Untitled from the Artavil Trees series each achieved $27,500. Yaghoub Emdadian’s untitled work sold for $25,385, while an untitled work by Abdolreza Daryabeigi reached $23,269.

Ahmad Amin Nazar’s untitled painting achieved $22,423, and Hadi Jamali’s untitled work sold for $19,462.

Forty-Four Works Sell for Approximately $4,000 to $20,000

The auction recorded broad participation in the lower price brackets, with numerous works selling for amounts ranging from approximately $4,000 to $20,000.

The results included Behrang Samadzadegan’s The 3rd War Experience at $19,038; Mansour Ghandriz’s Portrait of Bahman Sarkarati at $17,769; an untitled work by Hossein Mahjoubi at $17,346; an untitled work by Einoddin Sadeghzadeh at $16,923; and an untitled painting by Farrokh Mahdavi at $15,231.

Bita Vakili’s The Garden of History sold for $14,385, while an untitled work by Behrouz Daresh achieved $13,115. An untitled work by Houshang Pezeshknia sold for $12,692, as did a work by Manouchehr Niazi.

Maryam Salour’s Dandelion No. 13 and Farhad Fozouni’s Exhausted each achieved $11,423. Mohammad Hadi Fadavi’s Riderless Horses also sold for $11,423, while an untitled work by Jalal Shabahangi achieved $11,000.

Bita Fayyazi’s work sold for $9,731, while another work by Manouchehr Niazi achieved $9,308. Alireza Espahbod’s untitled work sold for $8,885, and works by Kambiz Sabri, Aneh Mohammad Tatari, and Iraj Eskandari each achieved $8,462.

Hadi Roshanzamir’s work sold for $8,038, while Mohsen Kiani’s Feast and Battle achieved $7,615. Keivan Beiranvand’s untitled work sold for $7,404. Works by Mansoureh Hosseini, Mehdi Vishkai, and Hamidreza Andarz each achieved $7,192.

Ahmad Esfandiari’s untitled work, Hosseinali Zabehi’s Half-dead Fish, Ardeshir Mohassess’s untitled work, and Hossein Sadri’s A Pigeon that Will Never See Its Nest Again each sold for $6,346. Niloofar Ghaderinejad’s Maral’s Scream also achieved $6,346.

Mostafa Dashti’s untitled work sold for $5,923, while Ali Nedai’s Myths and the Third Millennium achieved $5,077. Abbas Kiarostami’s photograph from the Snow-White series, an untitled work by Iraj Tanzifi, an untitled work by Abdolhamid Pazoki, an untitled work by Reza Hosseini, and an untitled work by Shideh Tami each sold for $4,654. The same price was achieved by works by Behrouz Zindashti, Amir Mobed, and Bahman Nikoo.

Finally, Karim Nasr’s Mountain Range, Tahereh Samadi Tari’s Whirlpool from The Gate of Time series, and an untitled work by Mohammad Tabatabai each achieved $4,231, while Mohammad Bozorgi’s untitled work sold for $4,019.

Twenty-Six Works Sell for Less Than Approximately $4,000

The remaining 26 works sold for less than approximately $4,000 each, illustrating the range of price points represented at the auction and the opportunities available to collectors.

Kiyumars Harpa’s untitled work, Mohammad Khalili’s untitled work, and Akram Afzali’s untitled work each achieved $3,808. Works by Kazem Chalipa, Mostafa Goudarzi, Nasser Azizi, and Amirali Javadian each sold for $3,596.

Pariyoush Ganji’s Zirab from the Travelogue of My Land series, Changiz Shahvagh’s untitled work, Maneli Manouchehri’s The Mirror Pond from The Hidden Side series, Arman Yaghoobpour’s How Vast the Plains, and Mahta Moini’s untitled work each achieved $3,385.

Morteza Goudarzi (Dibaj)’s untitled work and Atefeh Mohammadpourmir’s Temple from the Sacred Geometry series each sold for $3,173. Amirshahrokh Faryousefi’s Tango and Mahmoud Bajalan’s Pulse of Stone each achieved $2,962.

Naeimeh Ahangari’s untitled work from the Border series sold for $2,750, while Kiyumars Kiasat’s untitled work achieved $2,538. Jalaleddin Mashmooli’s untitled work from the Hasrat series sold for $2,327, and Mohammadali Baniasadi’s In Search of Peace achieved $2,115. Ahmad Ariamanesh’s untitled work also sold for $2,115.

Amir Sadegh Tehrani’s untitled work achieved $1,904, while Shahpari Behzadi’s untitled work from the Celestial series sold for $1,692. Behnoush Foroutan’s untitled work and Roshana Rostami’s untitled work each achieved $1,481. At the lower end of the price spectrum, Samila AmirEbrahimi’s untitled work sold for $1,058.

The results of the 26th Tehran Auction highlight the breadth of Iran’s modern and contemporary art market, from landmark works by internationally recognized modernists to works by a younger generation of artists. The strong overall sales total and the record price achieved by Tanavoli’s Heech sculpture underscore the continuing significance of Tehran Auction as a platform for the valuation, circulation, and promotion of Iranian art.