On 5 December, Iran and Japan signed an agreement which will see an exhibition of 180 Iranian artefacts travel to museums in five different Japanese cities in 2006. The touring exhibition, entitled “Iranian splendour”, is being sponsored by the Japanese royal family. Japan will pay all the transport and insurance costs as well as a $300,000 fee to Tehran. According to Mohammad Reza Karegar, director of Iran’s National Museum, the exhibition will start in Tokyo and travel to four other locations. Japan is hoping that over 2,500 people will visit the exhibition every day. This is the latest in a series of lucrative loan exhibitions organised by the National Museum in Tehran, one of which, “Ancient Persia”, opens at The British Museum in September.
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as 'Japan to get travelling show from Iran'