TEHRAN – The fifth edition of Baran Auction, specializing in Iranian and Islamic art, will be held in Tehran on Friday, October 30, featuring works of traditional calligraphy and Persian miniature painting, including “The Third Feather” by the late Iranian master Mahmoud Farshchian.

The event will take place at 5 p.m. at the Raizan International Conference Center, IRNA reported on Monday. 

A public exhibition of the selected works will be held at the same venue on October 28 and 29, offering art enthusiasts, researchers and collectors an opportunity to view the pieces before the sale, the report added. 

The upcoming edition continues Baran Auction's focus on preserving and promoting Iran's calligraphic heritage while expanding its presentation of traditional visual arts. Alongside calligraphic works, this year's selection includes pieces from the country's miniature painting tradition, highlighting the historical connections between the two art forms.

Among the featured works is “The Third Feather” by Farshchian, whose paintings frequently draw on Persian literary, spiritual and mythological themes. According to the organizers, the work evokes the mysterious feather of the Simorgh, the legendary bird associated with wisdom and spiritual discovery in Persian literature. They describe it as a symbol of awareness, hope and renewal, reflecting the enduring power of Iranian cultural thought.

Calligraphy remains central to Baran Auction's identity. Previous editions have featured works associated with major figures in the history of Iranian calligraphy, including Mir Emad Hassani, Darvish Abdolmajid Taleqani and Mirza Gholamreza Esfahani, alongside works by contemporary artists.

The fourth edition of Baran Auction, held in 2019, demonstrated the market appeal of Iran's traditional arts, with five folios from a rare copy of Ferdowsi's “Shahnameh”, written in the nastaliq style during the Timurid period (1370–1507), selling for more than $2.1 million. 

The auction, held at Tehran's Raizen International Conference Center, presented 94 works and generated more than $6 million in sales, although 25 lots failed to attract buyers. 

Other notable sales included a miniature portrait of Princess Navab Akbari Beigom, created by an Indian artist during the Zand dynasty (1751–1794), which fetched more than $1.3 million, and a cylinder inscribed with a Persian translation of the Cyrus Cylinder by calligrapher Hossein Niktalab, which sold for approximately $930,000. 

The results underscored the commercial potential of traditional Iranian and Islamic art within the country's art market.

By bringing together calligraphy and miniature painting, the fifth edition aims to present a broader view of Iran's artistic legacy while providing a platform for the appreciation and circulation of works rooted in its cultural traditions.

Founded by Mahbubeh Kazemi Dulabi in 2016, Baran Auction specializes in calligraphic paintings and works of calligraphy.

SAB/