Ali & Hichaam Aboutaam

Art is more than just aesthetically pleasing for the viewer; it can give one details about the culture and ideology of a place too.  This is especially the case with Islamic art and the world of Islam.  One can use Islamic art to see how Muslims view the world and their relationship to it.  Since Muslims are not allowed to engage in any form of idol-worship, Islamic art has to reflect that sensitivity and thus any depictions of animals or humans that might lead to such worship are forbidden.  Hence the art is centered more around floral, calligraphic, arabesque and geometric forms.  Today, on sale at e-Tiquities is a pair of Islamic gold bracelets, each of which has two twisted wires; a thick and smooth one and a thin and granulated ornamented one.  Both bracelets (which actually form a pair) have turquoise tiles in a heart shape and are identical.  They were probably worn by someone who was quite affluent given the fine materials and great craftsmanship used.

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.”

Some of the gems on sale by Phoenix Ancient Art – owned by Ali Aboutaam and his brother Hicham – come from the Etruscan and Villanovan period, developed in central Italy.  Any gems found during this time are quite precious today since very few pieces remain, especially from the Villanovan period.  This might suggest that the society lived quite modest lives since very few luxurious items remain but actually the jewelry that does remain would counter this claim.
The Aboutaam’s and Villanovian Figures

Typical from the Villanovian Era, is a Villanovian bronze figurine, on sale through e-Tiquities, Phoenix Ancient Art’s online site.  This figure is a man standing naked except for a small cap.  His facial features are quite distinct:  straight nose, slightly bulging eyes; ears coming out from the cap.  The Villanovians were known for creating many bronze figures very much like this one.

If you love to wander about art galleries then you should consider participating in this year’s upcoming third annual Madison Avenue Gallery Walk.  This event, which will be taking place on Saturday, May 15, 2010, is a benefit for The Fund for Public Schools, which will use the monies raised to promote and support art education in the New York City public school system.

Included among the 50 participating galleries is Phoenix Ancient Art, whose New York branch, located at 47 East 66th Street, is right smack in the middle of this year’s event.  Spanning the approximately one mile from East 57th Street to East 83rd Street, the Madison Avenue Gallery Walk will feature docent led tours of the galleries which will have speakers and programed discussions open to the public. Tours will take place every hour beginning at 11am, with the last tour scheduled to begin at 4pm.

There will also be a scavenger hunt in which families can compete in a fun way for 2 for the price of one discount tickets to the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Ali and Hicham Aboutaam, the brothers that preside over the Phoenix Ancient Art Gallery, are looking forward to a great day and hope to see you there.

Historically, antiquities have only been a very small part of the art market.  However, they are beginning to attract more attention from collectors and investors.  The black market for antiques has been restricted, causing tighter controls on access to antiques. And this, of course, raises the value of each antique and the interest in this field.

These tighter rules and lower supplies have made people more excited about antiques.  Recently, a bronze head of Ptolemy of Mauretania from around 520 A.D. was sold at Sotheby’s.  Estimated to be worth up to $500,000, it sold for $960,000!

This excitement is certainly good news for antiquities galleries such as Phoenix Ancient Art, owned by Ali Aboutaam and Hicham Aboutaam.  They understand that antiquities don’t grab headlines the way that other art does – but that antiques are a great opportunity and a great investment.

Today, the purchase of antiques has a new face.  As described on CNNMoney.com, antique purchasing has become more mainstream.  This is particularly true in America.  While antiques have always been of interest to the highly wealthy, the antique world in America is finding more regular Americans coming out to auctions.

Last year at Sotheby’s the auction house was packed – and it wasn’t just full of intellectual dealers and wealthy patrons.  There were many others there as well.  The objects that were being auctioned, as well, were treated differently than they have been in the past.  They were spread out throughout the room and were looked at, leaned on and admired.

Ali and Hicham Aboutaam, well-known antique dealers, are excited about these changes.  As Hicham Aboutaam said,  “There are more and more Americans – all sorts of different classes and types of Americans – traveling throughout the world, going to museums, visiting old Europe, bringing these interests home with them, and wanting to learn more. They go see these things and think, ‘Wow, it can be this beautiful?’ It’s grassroots. It’s exciting.”

Last week saw the exciting Brussels Antiques and Fine Arts Fair finish up in Brussels.  Phoenix Ancient Art owners Ali Aboutaam and Hicham Aboutaam were part of the 130 vendors who were invited to be part of this 55th year of the fair.  Since 1955, Belgium has hosted this fair, said to be the only one of its kind in the world.  They estimated that 36,000 visitors from Belgium and around the world would come to see the vast selection of available antiques.

Antique choices included everything from silver, antique jewelery, furniture and works of art from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, ceramics, drawings, engravings and more. The fair took place at the Tour & Taxis site in the heart of Brussels, creating a location that is easy to get to and that can house all of the items.  A guided tour was available every day at 3 pm.

There is a large selection of Byzantine antiques that collectors can find at auction houses, online locations such Phoenix Ancient Art, and other sites.  These pieces are characterized by their strong religious and imperial themes and include beautiful paintings, mosaics, jewelry, ivories and more.

The Byzantine Empire, as any historian or antiques dealer like Hicham Aboutaam can tell you, survived from the 4^th century A.D. until 1453 A.D. when Constantinople, the Empire’s capital, fell. Available antiques could include such treasures as a Byzantine gold inlay. This inlay shows a monogram that was very typical during the Byzantine period, as they used it as a method of identification and expression and to show that they were part of a larger group.

Other pieces, such as those you could find at Phoenix Ancient Art, include a spoon with an inscription, statues, jewelry such as the encolpion and more.

When shopping for antiques, you should certainly understand the various eras of art that you might encounter.  Websites such as Phoenix Ancient Art will give you a great overview of the many antiques and eras you might encounter.

Archaic antiques come from Greece and reflect the prosperous 6^th and early 5^th centuries B.C.  The most common antiques from this period, as antique dealers Hicham Aboutaam and Ali Aboutaam could explain, include statues of human figures and pottery.

One very unusual feature of the statues of this period is that most of them are smiling.  This is well known as the “archaic-smile” and it was, historians think, supposed to convey a feeling of peace.  Large statues from this period include monumental statues in marble and bronze that were created to decorate temples such as the Parthenon in Athens.  You can also find red-figure and white-ground pottery from this period.

Never afraid to innovative when it comes to bringing the beauty and excitement of ancient art to a wider audience, the Aboutaam brothers, Hicham and Ali instituted e-tiquities in May, 2009. Not only can items be purchased on-line, via e-tiquities™ but potential collectors can also participate in on-line auctions. After launching e-tiquities in May, 2009 the first auctioned art work was a core-formed glass amphoriskos, which is a type of perfume bottle, from the Greek Hellinistic epoch of the 3rd to 2nd century B.C.E. The bidding was set to begin at $8,000.
Hicham Aboutaam explained that purchasing antiquities can be a sound investment which not only maintains its monetary value, but adds value to the enjoyment of the collector’s life.

As Mr. Aboutaam put it:

“Given current economic conditions, people of all financial status are looking for safer havens for their investments. Antiquities have always been a good alternative through both booms and busts and unlike stocks or bonds, the return on investment includes a piece of timeless beauty.”