An ancient statuette of a lioness, which was sold last week for a record of $57 million at Sotheby’s in the US to an unknown British buyer, belongs to Shoush civilization which once flourished in the southern province of Khuzestan.
The fact that the object pertained to the Shoush civilization was mentioned in the book ’Ancient Iran’ written by Prada whose first edition was published in 1962. This is while the item was sold in the guise of a limestone sculpture belonging to the Mesopotamian civilization, reported ISNA.
The publication introduced the statuette as an item called ’Div Shir’ (demon lion), which measures eight centimeters by four millimeters and belongs to the third millennium BC.
The statue was owned by a private collector named Martin Family, who loaned the item on trust to Brooklyn Museum in the same year the book was published.
Elsewhere in the book it was also mentioned that two seals belonging to the Shoush civilization feature designs of the same statue. One of the seals is cylindrical carrying a design of ’Div Shir’ and is maintained in Louvre Museum.
This is while Reuters has said that the limestone statue of lioness was made in Mesopotamia, a cradle of civilization between Iran and Iraq 5,000 years ago.
AFP also reported that the piece called ’Guennol’ was put on sale by an organization and an American couple named Alastair and Edith Martin acquired it in 1948.
It further noted that the statuette was discovered near Baghdad, Iraq, and in 1931, a dealer from New York bought it and in 1948, the couple acquired it. However, Bloomberg was the only news site which introduced the item as being of Iranian origin.

Iranian photographer Mir Safi Andikalaei won the medal of honor and cash prize at the seventh Spanish International Photography Biennial called ’Gaudi Medal’.
According to IRNA, the event, which focuses on photography techniques, is held biennially with the participation of artists from around the world.
Andikalaei has so far organized four solo exhibits and participated in more than 130 domestic group and 17 foreign exhibits.

Ancient Iranian prophet, Zoroaster (Zartosht), is considered the founder of liturgical music in the world.
There is much evidence to prove that religious music began to flourish with Zoroastrianism, the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to Zoroaster, said MNA.
According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Zoroastrian priests (Mogh) recited hymns without the accompaniment of musical instruments.
Zoroaster is generally dated to about the 6-7th century BCE, which coincided with the Medes era, and the hymns attributed to him, known as ’Gathas’, are at the liturgical core of Zoroastrianism.
The Avesta, the holy book of prophet Zoroaster, is the collection of the sacred texts generally divided into categories, including ’The Yasna’, which incorporates 17 Gathas, and ’The Yashts’, which are hymns in honor of the divinities.
It is said that the suffix ’-gah’ added to the end of the word ’Dastagah’ (Iranian music system) is derived from ’Gathas’, which literally meant ’hymn’ in the Middle Persian language or ’Pahlavi’.
Zoroastrians were recommended to recite their prayers in verse and those who transgressed were considered sinners.

Iran’s Cultural Office in Arminia in cooperation with Yerevan State University’s Persian Department held a seminar on Shamseddin Mohammad Khajeh Hafez Shirazi on December 4 as well as a poetry night.
According to MNA, the event was attended by a number of the Armenian intellectuals, Iranologists, professors and students.
Head of Acharian University’s Oriental Studies Department Parsa Danian told the gathering that the most important feature of Hafez’s poetry is the inspiration it draws from the holy Qur’an since a large section of his poems either feature Qur’anic concepts or have something to do with the holy book.
Hafez, himself, was both a reciter and learned the Qur’an by heart, he said, adding that the more one studies the Qur’an, the more he/she will understand the depth of Hafez’s works.
Head of Irano-Armenian Friendship Council Gourgian also delivered a lecture about the personality and poetry of Hafez and called for continuing such events in the country’ higher educational centers.
Head of Iranian Studies Department of the university Asatourian said, “We do our best in the department to bring out the lofty concepts of Hafez’s poetry, which is a difficult job.“
Iran’s Cultural AttachŽ Reza Atoufi also said that talking about Hafez is both tough and easy. Tough since Hafez is a great figure and making thoughtful comments about great figures is difficult and easy since Hafez has opened up diverse horizons to humanity.

Alireza Qorbani

Eshtiaq ensemble, accompanied by popular Iranian vocalist Alireza Qorbani, will perform concerts on December 23-24 at the French Africolor Music Festival in Paris.
Speaking to MNA, Qorbani said that Eshtiaq ensemble is the only musical group which will represent Iran in the event.
“Most of the pieces, including ’Wave’, ’Servant of Moon’, ’Fairy’ and ’Amber’ will be performed in the Dastgah (Iranian music system) of Nava,“ he said.
The group includes Rashid Kakavand on ’Tonbak’ (Persian goblet drum), Eshaq Chegini on reed instrument, Saman Samimi and Hamid Khabbazi on traditional Iranian string musical instruments ’Kamancheh’ and ’Tar’, respectively.
Africolor is a festival of tales and music which aims to celebrate cultural diversity.

The cover of 'Persian Cartoon-1'

Persian Cartoon Group published a selection of Iranian cartoons in a book titled ’Persian Cartoon-1’.
According to ISNA, the collection includes the best works of 28 Iranian cartoonists. The group was founded by Yahya Tadayyon, Hadi Heidari, Keyvan Zargari and Hassan Karimzadeh.
In a preface to the book, Javad Mojabi said that although the book is not a comprehensive work on Iranian cartoon, it is a modest tribute to those involved in the art.
The book, which features works by Kambiz Derambakhsh, Jamal Rahmati, Keyvan Zargari and other caricaturists, recalls the architects of Iran’s modern cartoon.
The group also intends to publish other works by the artists.
’Persian Cartoon-1’ was published in English-Persian languages in pocket size and with a cover price of 15,000 rials.

Foreign groups from Poland, Iraq, Uganda, Sweden and Armenia will take part in the Third International Festival on Theater for the Disabled during December 11-15.
According to MNA, deputy head of State Welfare Organization (SWO) for rehabilitation affairs, Kazem Nazmdeh said in a press conference on Sunday that the entity has done a great deal for the disabled but it emphasizes that such services should promote self-esteem among them. Financial assistance traditionally extended to the disabled would make them further dependent in the long-term.
“We maintain that direct financial assistance should be avoided and assistance should be made available in the form of tuitions, insurance coverage and other services which will help make them independent,“ he said.
Referring to the therapeutic feature of theater, he further said that theater therapy aims to forge a link between the disabled and healthy society.
Describing SWO as one of the institutes trying to identify and support the disabled in recent years, Nazmdeh further said that it seeks to develop theater therapy among the disabled.
According to the law on supporting the disabled, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) should broadcast programs in the field for two hours a week.
However, the organization’s cooperation with SWO is not satisfactory, he complained.

Theater director Mehdi Farajpour will bring to stage a performance ’Sudalaiyadi’ in the competition section of the 26th Fajr International Theater Festival in January.
Speaking to theater.ir, Farajpour expressed hope that despite delays in selecting the entries, this year’s festival will be held in an organized manner.
He added that the inclusion of the competition section in the event provides an opportunity for participants to demonstrate their capabilities and exchange theatrical experiences.
Commenting on the performance, he said, “It is inspired by an ancient Indian myth, which will be performed in English in collaboration with Iranian and Indian cast.“ Farajpour further stated that the play has been featured in a number of foreign events, including Cuttack Cultural Festival in India.
’Sudalaiyadi’ narrates the story of one second in the mind of the life of a monk whose job it to cremate corpses at the
temple.

Prominent Slovak cellist Eugen Prochac, accompanied by Iranian pianist Amir Sarraf, will perform a duet from December 12-14 at Niavaran Cultural Complex’s Persian Gulf Hall.
The artists will present eighth classical pieces by Slovak composers, according to Niavaran’s Public Relations Office.
The event will be held in cooperation with the Slovak Embassy in Iran to mark that country’s National Day.
Prochac is an orchestra conductor and artistic director of the International Festival of Nice Music held annually in the central Slovak town of Banska Stiavnica. He is also conducting several master classes in universities worldwide.
Meanwhile, Heleh ensemble, conducted by Mohammad Saleh-Zamani, will feature two concerts at Roudaki Hall on December 13-14.
The compositions, based on poems by famous Iranian poets Hafez and Baba Taher, will be performed to the accompaniment of percussion instruments.