Ultra-Rare 1981 Bobby Sands Iranian Solidarity Poster

An exceptionally rare, authentic original political poster from the historic 1981 H-Block hunger strike. This striking trilingual variant (English, Farsi, Arabic) features the official emblem of the Islamic Republic of Iran alongside a supportive quote from Ayatollah Khomeini. Crucially, this limited-run design was produced and circulated prior to Bobby Sands' passing, capturing the raw geopolitical alignment of the active hunger strike era. Examples of this specific print are virtually non-existent online, making it an incredibly elusive find for serious collectors.
Provenance & Unique Inscriptions:
This piece is a genuine artifact with powerful, immediate period provenance. In anticipation of Bobby Sands' death, copies of this limited print run had made their way directly into Belfast. This exact poster was acquired on the ground during the active protests and professionally block-mounted onto a heavy board on May 6, 1981—the very next morning after Bobby Sands passed away.
Crucially, the reverse side of the board features handwritten, chronological records written by the original owner at the exact timeline of the historic event. The back reads:

• "died 5/5/1981"

• "R.I.P."

• "this is first block mounted picture made 6/5/1981"

• "A Present from Imam Khomeini"

By preserving the poster the morning after his death and chronicling it by hand, the original owner captured the immediate shock, grief, and historic significance of the event exactly as it unfolded on the streets. The presentation is highly characteristic of early 1980s commercial framing trends in Ireland, serving as a physical footprint of its survival.
International Significance & Iranian Support:
Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the newly established Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Khomeini aggressively sought to challenge Western imperialism. The Iranian government championed the 1981 hunger strikes as a powerful symbol of anti-colonial resistance against British state power.
By distributing these prints directly to republican networks in Northern Ireland, Tehran sought to align its own anti-Western ideology with the republican struggle—an ideological tie so strong that Iran famously renamed the street of the British Embassy in Tehran to "Bobby Sands Street" during this exact window. This crossover appeal makes the poster a highly coveted holy grail for collectors of Irish Republican memorabilia, Troubles history, and Middle Eastern propaganda.

Condition Details:
• Organic Ink Fading: The red ink in the primary headers has naturally mellowed over 45 years. This vintage chemical aging serves as an un-fakeable fingerprint of authenticity.
• Crisp Typography: The fine Farsi and Arabic scripts remain sharp against the deep black background, confirming a high-quality period print run.
• Vintage Wear: The board retains honest, age-appropriate edge softening and light surface scuffs that anchor its decades of historic character. It remains firmly adhered to its original heavy wooden board, complete with its historic handwritten reverse side.