A collection of 38 Iranian traditional artworks went under the hammer during the auction held at Khaneh Hamayesh, a convention center in northern Tehran, the Persian service of IRNA reported on Sunday.

The second-highest grossing item was a portrait of Iranian politician Hossein Pirnia (1875–1948) by Kamalolmolk, a court painter during the reign of Qajar king Nasser ad-Din Shah (1821-1900).

The painting went for 34.5 billion rials (over $820,000).

A rare copy of the Holy Quran dating back to the Qajar era, which was sold at 9 billion rials (over $214,000), stood third.

The auction grossed 130 billion rials (over $3 million). 16 items failed to find buyers at the auction.

Source: Tehran Times