Christie's Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art Online Auction Totals $3.54m
3 min read · 17 Jun 2026
Untitled (Wadi Qannoubine series) by Saliba Douaihy sold for $222,100. Image courtesy of Christie's
A work by Saliba Douaihy was the headline sale at Christie's 'Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art Online' auction on June 2-16 in London.
- The sale totaled $3.54m (GBP2.63m), exceeding the pre-sale high estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 60 works sold totaling $3.54m.
- Estimates totaled: $1.92m (low) and $2.82m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 98% of the original 61 lots announced.
The star lot was: Saliba Douaihy, Untitled (Wadi Qannoubine series) (1980), which sold for $222,100, 230% above its $67,300 low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.
Togetherness by Vera Tamari sold for $71,800 (1677% above estimate). Image courtesy of Christie's
The outperformer sold for 1677% above its low estimate. Vera Tamari, Togetherness (1970), sold for $71,800 ($4,037 low estimate). It has been traded once in the past.
- 43 works, or 72%, sold above their high estimate.
- 16 works, or 27%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 1 works, or 2%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
No sales had a guarantee.
Works that did not sell
1 work was bought-in: Gazbia Sirry, The Mountain and the Desert (1966), estimated at $67,300 (low) to $94,200 (high). It has been traded twice in the past.
Withdrawn before the sale
0 works were withdrawn
Terms and definitions
All results include the fees and premiums added to the price of a work of art when the auctioneer's hammer falls. Estimates, sale prices and totals are converted into US dollars. Sale prices are compared to the auction house’s low estimate, which do not include premiums.
Guarantees: Sometimes an auction house guarantees to pay a seller for a work, regardless of whether the bidding reaches the reserve price, a figure that is typically confidential.
Bought-in: If there are no bids for a work, or if bidding falls short of the reserve price, the lot is unsold or “bought-in”.
Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.
Premiums: Typically a sliding-scale of charges paid in addition to the hammer price by the buyer, plus any other fees.
Get the HENI News Daily Art Digest delivered to your inbox