Ali & Hichaam Aboutaam

One of the many distinct antiques available with Hicham Aboutaam and Ali Aboutaam at Phoenix Ancient Art is this Bronze Figure of Serapis seated on a Throne.  This third century bronze sculpture would be most identifiable as the Greco-Egyptian god Serapis, whose cult was introduced by Ptolemy I Soter.

Serapis was quite popular during the Hellenistic period with a large temple located in Alexandria and another famous one in Memphis.  His successful cult spread throughout the Mediterranean basin.  This small bronze, and the many other similar figures, is thought to correspond to the cult statue that is housed in the Alexandria temple. This statue was commissioned by Ptolemy II to the sculptor Bryaxis the Younger.

Antiquities are not simply old pieces of art. They carry a message about a culture’s heritage and history which is the legacy and gift of that culture to its heirs and to the rest of the world. Because of the special place ancient objects have in a nation’s culture, the rules regarding trade and ownership of these artifacts have a special significance.
Recently there has been a movement to improve the laws that exist and perhaps create new laws that protect the objects and the nation’s that birthed them so that rightful possession and ownership can be sought after and maintained.

Antiquities dealers are affected by these changes. “If dealers ignore the changing standards in the antiquities trade,” says Hicham Aboutaam, co-owner, with his brother, Ali, of Phoenix Ancient Art of New York and Geneva, “it will be at their peril.”

In addition dealers often take the “buyers beware” approach to selling antiquities. “We research pieces as much as we can,” says Aboutaam, “and if we fail to find a provenance, we put everything on the table and let the buyer decide.”