Christie's Dubai to auction Egyptian art collection

Christie's has announced it will offer a selection of works from the private collection of Mohammed Said Farsi, former mayor and lord mayor of Jeddah, for sale in Dubai.

Dr Farsi, a driving force in the Egyptian art scene, is credited with assembling the most important private collections of modern Egyptian art. The sale is expected to raise up to $7m.

The April sale will include 25 works from his collection representing some of Egypt’s most famous 20th century artists including Mahmoud Mokhtar, Mahmoud Said, Ragheb Ayad, Abul Hadi El-Gazzar and Hamed Nada.

“We are honoured to be offering at auction a selection of masterpieces from such a distinguished collection,” said Jussi Pylkkanen, president of Christie's Europe and Middle East.

“Dr. Farsi is renowned throughout the Middle East for his appreciation and promotion of the visual arts, and this shines through in his own collection which represents the greatest group of modern Egyptian art in private hands.”

The highlight of the sale is Les Chadoufs, 1934, an early piece by Mahmoud Said, which is expected to reach $150,000 to $200,000.