Ali & Hicham Aboutaam » Antiquities

‘SCARFACE’ BUST ONCE OWNED BY PHOENIX ANCIENT ART TRIPLES ESTIMATE AT SOTHEBY’S

Sophie — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 17:38:09 +0000

The market for fine antiquities has never been stronger. For example, a four-inch black chlorite bust of a mythological hero, whose most distinguishing characteristics are a long shell-inlaid scar crossing the right side of his face and another large scar on his left cheek sold at Sotheby’s on 8 December for $1,258,500 against a pre-sale estimate fo $300,000-500,000. The piece was consigned by a collector who bought it from the Aboutaam brothers, co-owners of Phoenix Ancient Art, who bought it at Christie’s in June 2000 for $105,000. The small but powerful piece has been in several private collections and is believed to have been found prior to 1961.

CYCLADIC FIGURE BRINGS RECORD PRICE AT CHRISTIE’S

Sophie — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:27:22 +0000

Christie’s Antiquities sale on 9 December was highlighted by an 11 ½ inch Cycladic marble reclining female figure, circa 2400 B.C. The piece of one of twelve known by the “Schuster Master,” so-called for this piece which once belonged to Swiss collector Marion Schuster. This example, which is the only complete work from the artist to survive, has never been up for auction before. It was last on the market in 2006, when the Aboutaam brothers, owners of Phoenix Ancient Art, exhibited it in their booth at the Paris Biennale. The piece was sold shortly after that to a private collector who consigned it to Christie’s for sale on TK December. The idol sold for $16,882,500, against presale expectations of $3-5 million. The price was a new auction record for a Cycladic marble figure, eclipsing the previous auction record of $2.09 million, paid at Sotheby’s for a Cycladic head in December 1988. Related posts:

Neolithic to Nebuchadnezzar

Sophie — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:09:38 +0000

Phoenix Ancient t Art, Winged griffin flanking a scared tree, Phoenician, ca. 8th century B.C., ivory, H 10.6 cm

[Hicham] Aboutaam notes, “There are people who collect both Classical and Near Eastern art, but not everybody does that. Those who like Near Eastern art in general, feel that it is historically and archeologically superior to Classical art. Those who collect Classical art like, from time to time, to go out of the Hellenized world boundaries and back to earlier periods in the same region, a few millennia earlier. So they play a game of moving back and forth.”

Amy Page, Neolithic to Nebuchadnezzar, Art & Antiques, November, 2010

PNOENIX ANCIENT ART TO EXHIBIT IN NEW YORK IN OCTOBER AT THE INTERNATIONAL FINE ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS SHOW

Sophie — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:10:06 +0000

Rarities on the stand of Phoenix Ancient Art include:

: Greek, late 8th century B.C. bronze

A Geometric Horse

H: 11 cm, Base: 7 cm (4.3 x 2.8 in.)

The horse dates from the Geometric Period, 10^th to 8^th century B.C. The era was a time of great cultural advancement: Homer and the rise of epic poetry and the development of the visual arts. Bronze figurines were produced, depicting people, animals and birds. Representations of horses are among the most frequently depicted animals. A great number of bronze horses such as this one were used as votive offerings in temples and sanctuaries. This small, stylized, and charming horse is standing upright with his head proudly raised. His chest and neck reveal his power and his head is delicately modeled in great detail.

New Rules for Ancient Art

admin — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 10:32:49 +0000

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 to create new laws that protect the objects and the nations they came from so that rightful possession and ownership can be 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.”

Some dealers 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.”

Using Antiques in the Home

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:43:30 +0000

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 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.

One tip when starting to decorate with antiques is to group together similar objects. Another is to stick to one time period.

Going Once, Twice, Sold on E-tiquities of Phoenix Ancient Art

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:51:36 +0000

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. The first work to be auctioned on e-tiquities was a glass amphoriskos, a type of perfume bottle, from the Greek Hellinistic epoch, 3rd to 2nd century B.C.E. The bidding was set to begin at $8,000.

Hicham Aboutaam explains that purchasing antiquities can be a sound investment, which not only maintains its monetary value, but adds also 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 owning a piece of timeless beauty.”

No Fear Art Collecting at Phoenix Ancient Art

admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:45:48 +0000

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 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.”

E-tiquities Brings Ancient Art to Your Fingertips

admin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:45:26 +0000

Always at the forefront of new trends in antiquities 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 his mouse to www.e-tiquities.com and examine, at his own convenience, the large array of ancient works of art available for sale.

When the collector enters this website he 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 previously have access to antiquities, or believed 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.”

Jump Into to Ancient Art with the Aboutaam Brothers

admin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:52:08 +0000

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 onlyto multi-millionaires or museum curators. Just take a look at their web site Phoenix Ancient Art and see how easy owning antiquities 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, international and local.

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 others.

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.