Massoud Arabshahi (Iranian, B. 1935)

As one of the Masters of Iranian Modern Art, Massoud Arabshahi has used in his works a wide array of mediums from oil, gold leaf to found objects such as ropes, which he superimposed with symbols inspired from the Sassanian and Achaemenid imagery. In his early paintings of which the present work is a fine example, the symbols and the abstract vocabulary are merely decorative. Combined with the rich texture of the work, the aesthetic outcome is a harmonious and balanced composition.

The present lot executed in 1957 is the earliest and one of the most outstanding works by the artist to appear at auction. The elegant composition is reminiscent of the artist's cultural heritage and the reliefs seen throughout Ancient Mesopotamia, yet the work is strikingly modern.