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.

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.

What’s old is always in style.  At least that’s what people who love antiques say.  There are many great ways to decorate with antiques and to take the home décor to a whole new level of style with only a few key items.

When you start to search for antiques, you should first become familiar with the variety of choices at a location like Phoenix Ancient Art.  Antique dealers Hicham Aboutaam and Ali Aboutaam offer a great deal of information on their various sites, as do many other dealers.

One tip when starting to decorate with antiques is to group together like objects.  Stick to one time period, purchasing Mesopotanian statues to feature in one room, or Byzantine coins to display together.

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.”

Always at the forefront of new trends in antiquity dealing, the Aboutaam brothers, Ali and Hicham have decided to launch a truly innovative method for people to acquire antiquities, through their computer. All a prospective customer has to do is point their mouse to www.e-tiquities.com and examine, at their own convenience, the large array of ancient works of art available for sale.

When the hopeful collector enters this web site he or she will find beautiful objects of art in the widest possible range of prices, from as little as $500 and all the way up to $25,000, all available at the mere touch of a button.

The purpose of this venture, which was inaugurated on May 1st, 2009, is to bring antiquities to a new audience, an audience that did not have access to antiquities, or believe that ancient art collecting is only for the mega-rich. Ali and Hicham Aboutaam also want to make collecting ancient art easier for those already involved.  As Hicham explained it,

“In launching e-tiquities™ by Phoenix Ancient Art, we hope both to introduce a new audience to the cultures of the ancient world, and to give our existing clients an easy way to expand their collections.”