This is one of the better books I’ve read on Iran. But It drove me mad with all: – the lists (actual, and cleverly disguised by stringing them together with commas / semi-colons). It’s great to do research, but maybe he didn’t need to put all of it in? – the whining about cab drivers …
The Clark-Corcoran carpet may be the most expensive Persian carpet ever – but when Rupprecht of Bavaria unexpectedly found some (much less expensive) kilims and carpets in the back rooms of his castle, he decided to instigate the first block-buster exhibition of Islamic art objects. The Munich 1910 exhibition “Masterworks of Muhammadan Art” set the …
Here’s Mary-Jo Otsea selling the Clark- Corcoran carpet in June 2013 at Sothebys in New York for $33.7 million. This carpet is named after Senator William Clark, “the richest man west of the Mississippi” in the 1890s. Apparently no-one attempted to compete with his buying power in his lifetime – though, of course, the American sanctions …
And here’s a video of Mary Jo Otsea, the lead on carpets at Sothebys, selling the most expensive Persian carpet (so far). Look out for her slip at 1 minute 40 seconds: she mixes up $16 million and $16,000 – a much more usual price for her – as she says “Hello! Excuse me, I’m …
This is the most expensive Persian carpet ever purchased at auction: the Clark-Corcoran sickle carpet – sold for $33.7M in Sotheby’s New York Here’s what Sotheby’s said about it. And here’s more details in my blog posting Image credit: artsjournal
Qanats were probably invented in Iranian Kurdistan – or so says this month’s Saudi Aramco magazine. I’m not so sure. And I think it’s a lost opportunity that they don’t mention the water crisis which is threatening the very existence of the qanat, at least in Iran. Click here to read about the dry qanat that …
Look at these two gorgeous art-works, included in the Magic of Persia / Sotheby’s exhibition / sale in Los Angeles! Check out the fine detail on this one below: The Red Love, Alireza Astaneh I saw them (electronically …
The Iran water crisis is getting noticed. At last! A senior professor of sociology at Tehran University told Al-Monitor: “All these years we were discussing economy, politics, society and democracy. Now, however, these discussions all sound absurd to me. Given the current situation, we will either die of thirst or run away. I am no longer …
Goncheh Ghavami went to watch a men’s volleyball match in the Azadi (freedom) stadium – and was arrested. Since June 2014 she has been in solitary confinement in the Evin prison in Tehran Goncheh has dual British-Iranian citizenship. Amnesty International has called for an Urgent Action for her. Amnesty believes Ghoncheh has been put under psychological …
Ziegler & Company was the first company to produce handmade Persian carpets while catering to European tastes and needs – even accepting designs from Western retailers. What are considered as ‘Iranian’ patterns in carpets were “often affected by European imperialism and process of globalization”. Kimia Maleki has described how Ziegler was “instrumental in shaping how …