Ali Omar Ermes, The Fourth Ode

Sotheby's announced today that it will mount a sale "Hurouf: The Art of the Word" to take place in Doha, Qatar, at The Ritz-Carlton Doha hotel, on the 15th December. Ranging from very early Islamic calligraphies through appealing Ottoman pieces of the 18th-19th Centuries to the productions of artists working today who have drawn on this important tradition, the sale will incorporate Arabic, Farsi and Ottoman Turkish works. Prior to the sale, highlights will travel throughout the Gulf Region.

Commenting on the forthcoming auction in Doha, Roberta Louckx, Sotheby’s Executive Vice President and Head of Sotheby’s in Qatar, said: “We are delighted to return to Doha later this year with an inaugural auction devoted to ‘calligraphy’, a theme that has inspired and informed the art of this rich and diverse culture throughout the ages – from the production of the first Kufic Qur’ans to the modern and contemporary artworks of Farhad Moshiri. Sotheby’s is strongly committed to the region, and we are extremely excited to present for sale, in Qatar, the creative endeavours of some of the region’s most talented artists, past and present.”

Speaking of the sale, Dalya Islam, Director of Sotheby’s Middle East Arab & Iranian Art Department, said: “Last year at our Doha sales Sotheby’s achieved solid success for works by highly sought-after Arab artists such as Chafic Abboud, Nabil Nahas, Ayman Baalbaki, Yousef Ahmad and Ali Hassan. In order to build on this, we have decided to devote a sale to works of significant interest to the region, focusing on calligraphy. The Arabic script has stimulated artists for more than a millennium, and is still a highly regarded and revered art form that reflects the rich history of the region. The auction will emphasise the enduring legacy of Islamic art by tracing the development of calligraphy, with a focus on its contemporary manifestation.”