The 5th Baran Auction Achieves $1.4 Million in Sales / 59 Works Sold, with Masterpieces by Mirza Agha Emami, Agha Najaf, Mir Emad, Farshchian, Sadegh Tabrizi, Reza Mafi and Historic Artworks The fifth edition of the Baran Auction, specializing in calligraphy, Iranian and Islamic art, concluded with 86% of the works offered successfully sold, achieving total sales of 369.06 billion tomans (approximately $1.367 million). The highest-priced work of the auction was hammered down at 79 billion…
Mahboubeh Kazemi
16 Content
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The 5th Baran Auction Achieves $1.4 Million in Sales -
The 5th Baran Auction Opens with a Special Reception for Artists and Art Collectors / PhotosThe 5th Baran Auction, a specialized auction dedicated to calligraphy and Iranian-Islamic arts, opened on Tuesday evening, October 27, 2026, with the presence of artists and art collectors.
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Mahboubeh Kazemi and Agha Najaf Naqqash-Bashi’s 200-Year-Old Masterpiece: From Safavid Courtly Festivities to the Refinement of Qajar Lacquer PaintingThis unique painting belongs to a distinguished, documented family in the history of Iranian art: Agha Najaf Naqqash-Bashi. A museum-quality work, it serves not only as an example of traditional visual aesthetics but also as a valuable resource for cultural and social studies.
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Mahboubeh Kazemi, Reza Mafi and the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art: A New Reading of the Artist as a Human BeingReza Mafi lived for only 39 years, yet within that short life, his unique innovation and genius brought about one of the most significant and fundamental transformations in contemporary Iranian calligraphy and calligraphic painting. Mahboubeh Kazemi, founder and director of Taraneh Baran Gallery, offered a fresh perspective on Mafi and his work through the curation of a research-based exhibition at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art.
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Mahboubeh Kazemi: Middle Eastern Contemporary Art Is Experiencing an Identity SuspensionMahboubeh Kazemi: Middle Eastern Contemporary Art Is Experiencing an Identity Suspension / The Urgent Need to Return to Authenticity.
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Mahboubeh Kazemi Analyzes a Mir Emad Al-Hassani Nastaliq Masterpiece: From The Met and the Louvre to Baran AuctionMahboubeh Kazemi, founder and director of Baran Auction—the first specialized auction dedicated to calligraphy and Iranian-Islamic art—offers a detailed analysis of an outstanding calligraphic work by Mir Emad Al-Hassani that was sold at the inaugural edition of the auction. Using this masterpiece as a point of departure, she highlights remarkable examples of works by the “pinnacle of Nastaliq” preserved in some of the world’s most prestigious museums.
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Mahboubeh Kazemi: The Middle East Must Recognize Zinat al-Sadat Emami — The Third Vertex of the Triangle Formed by Monir Farmanfarmaian and Fakhr-al-Nisa’ ZeidThe world does not know that the so-called male-dominated Middle East also produced remarkable women artists a century ago—women whose artistic creations have enriched humanity’s cultural heritage. Today, Zinat al-Sadat Emami, in her nineties in Isfahan, Iran, continues to shine. In my view, she forms the third radiant vertex alongside Monir Farmanfarmaian and Fakhr-al-Nisa’ Zeid.
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6 Record-Making Masterpieces of Civilizational and Traditional Art at Baran AuctionIn four editions of the Baran Auction — a specialized auction for calligraphy, Islamic art, and traditional civilizational works — many pieces have achieved remarkable records. Six such works are introduced in this article.
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Four Editions of Baran Auction: A Million-Dollar Leap Through Civilizational and Authentic ArtworksOne of the most significant achievements of Baran Auction has been the revitalization of the market for Islamic arts and calligraphy alongside a curated selection of modern and contemporary works—a combination that both preserves artistic roots and offers a perspective on emerging currents. This dual approach has brought Iranian and international audiences to a shared point of engagement and has elevated both the cultural and economic value of the artworks
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Ten Years Ago: Mahboubeh Kazemi’s Vision—Baran Auction, the First Specialized Auction of Calligraphy and Islamic Art, with $871,000 in SalesA decade ago, Mahboubeh Kazemi launched Baran Auction, the first specialized auction dedicated to calligraphy and Islamic arts, featuring artists from Iraq, Turkey, and Iran, and achieving total sales of $871,000. Since 2016 (1395 SH), with the establishment of Baran Auction—the first auction in the Middle East exclusively focused on calligraphy and Islamic arts—Mahboubeh Kazemi has reminded the region of the enduring importance of its traditional and civilizational heritage. Four successful…