Christie’s Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art sale in Dubai was divided into two sections: Part I, with 46 works, took place on 25 October; part II, with 155, on 26 October. The latter was intended to encourage a new, younger group of buyers through lower prices. Parts I and II totalled $7.3 million. With a pre-sale estimate of $4.5 million, Part I realised $4,998,850.

A painting by the father of modern Egyptian art, Mahmoud Said (1897-1964) was the second highest lot sold. A remarkable portrait of a young maidservant, Petite fille d’Assiout, painted in 1945, was sold to a private collector for $650,000 against a pre-sale estimate of $250,000-300,000.

The highest lot was Untitled (from the Tree Trunk Series) by the Iranian artist Sohrab Sepehri (1928-1990) which sold for $662,500 against a pre-sale estimate of $250,000-300,000, setting a new world record for the artist.

The part II sale marked a significant change in the variety and value of the works without compromising on quality. In this part, success was reflected in the $2.3 million gained and the 83 percent selling rate. Works by Egyptian artists were also sold: Ahmed Askalany’s Kissing (2011) for $68,000 (estimate: $30-40 thousand) and Youssef Nabil’s Amani by Window (1993) for $56,250 (estimate: $30-40 thousand).