Ali & Hichaam Aboutaam

Contemporary and ancient Syrian Art are quite different.  With modern Syrian art it was the Syrian government that controlled the local arts scene but in recent times that has been changing since the country’s economy has become more open and less government-controlled.  In addition, the Westerners have been seeking something different and are thus spending more money on Middle Eastern Art.  This has led to the opening of various modern art galleries in Damascus which work with international collectors and what this has meant is that “the average price of a medium-sized work has appreciated 400 percent.”  For ancient Syrian art lovers however, one can purchase a Syrian Pilgrim terracotta Flask with a round and bellied body that has two handles from Phoenix Ancient Art.  It comprises five parts that were made separately and then put together.  It can be purchased for $5,000.

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.”

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.

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.”

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.”

Some people might be nervous about purchasing ancient art. They might be unsure of the authenticity or chain of ownership (provenance) of the piece of art they are considering. At

Bronze Pendant

Phoenix Ancient Art this kind of worrying is completely unfounded.  According to Hicham Aboutaam,

“One of the things which makes Phoenix Ancient Art special in our field is the guarantee of authenticity that we provide to our clients, whether they buy works in our galleries or on our new website. Over the years, we’ve developed procedures to establish provenance to ensure that our pieces are both authentic and on the market in accordance with international law.”

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.”

Ancient Egyptian Bronze Mirror

Have you ever had a hankering for owning some real old works of art? Phoenix Ancient Art makes this possibility easier than you might have thought.

The Aboutaam brothers, Hicham and Ali have made it one of their priorities to open up the world of antiquities to the general public and not only multi-millionaires or museum curators. Just take a gander at their web site Phoenix Ancient Art and see how easy it can be.

As a newcomer to the world of collecting antiquities, or even if you only want to dip your toes in and purchase one or two items, Hicham and Ali Aboutaam offer the following reassurances that you are not going where only the brave dare to go:

1. Provenance is established with the highest possible due diligence to guarantee that the chain of ownership has only and exclusively been passed down through reputable channels, in the open market and in accord with all applicable laws, internationally and locally.

2. Authenticity of each artifact is painstakingly established using scholarly analysis of the history and style of each piece. Some of the techniques used to establish authenticity of age are thermo-luminescence, carbon-14 dating, metallurgic and other s.

3. There is a money-back guarantee offered by Phoenix Ancient Art that the authenticity and its provenance is as described to the buyer. With these reassurances there is no reason not to jump into the wonderful world of owning ancient art.