Ali Aboutaam of Phoenix Ancient Art in Geneva, Switzerland

Not only can you purchase antiquities from Phoenix Ancient Art, but there are beautiful catalogs available which discuss interesting subjects which many of the antiquities available at Phoenix are examples of.

For example, Ali and Hicham Aboutaam published a catalog entitled “Exotics of the Classical World.”

Within this catalog 40 separate pieces are discussed in depth in English, with a full French translation of each description available in an appendix at the back.

The premise of this collection is a counterpoint to what has come to be accepted as the theme of Greco-Roman antiquities and the neo-classical movement of the 19th century. In opposition to the traditional notion of the ‘Greek-Roman’ ideal of beauty, idealism, elegance and nobility, the “Exotics” collection point to a different standard, that of the unusual, strange, picturesque, and even ugly, at times.

Delve into the world of “Exotics” with the Aboutaam brothers, and get a taste of something different.

Guennol Lioness

“Compared to contemporary art, antiquities are terribly undervalued,” says Hicham Aboutaam of Phoenix Ancient Art. This remark was made in response to the sale at Sotheby’s in New York of a 3 inch tall ancient limestone sculpture of a lioness for $57.2 million in December 2007. To date that was the highest ever paid for a sculpture.

The statue, known as the Guennol Lioness, is 5,000 years old and originates from Mesopotamia, where it was discovered not far from Baghdad, Iraq in the early part of the 20th century by archeologist Sir Leonard Woolley.

The winning price almost doubled the previous high which had been paid for a sculpture, and was three times the estimate of the piece’s value before the sale, at $18 million. In November of 2007 a Picasso bronze sold for $29.2 million, the previous high price, the “Tete de Femme (Dora Maar).”

AliAboutaam of Phoenix Ancient Art offers objects from a huge range of time periods and geographical locations.  One of the more astounding artifacts on offer is a Scythian bamboo bow and quiver set. This remarkably preserved set is from the 3rd to 1st century. The state of preservation is astounding, with wood and leather paint almost perfect.

Also incredible is the fact that this set has remained together through the ages. The bamboo bow is shaped into a triple curve, the center curve for hand placement, and the top and bottom curves to increase the action of the bowstring.

Scythian Bamboo Weapon

Scythian refers to a group comprised of many tribes which were nomadic. They spoke the Iranian language and roamed throughout the area from the Danube river plains to the Central Asia steppes and eastward to Siberia.
The Scythian main occupation was as warriors, and even Scythian women were welcomed to fight in battles.
This artifact is quite a find, not just for its inherent beauty but for its historical value as well.

Attic Amphora Vase

In an interview with Hicham Aboutaam, we learn about a beautiful and rare stamnos, or Greek pottery, which was used in ancient times to carry liquids. In this case the liquid it carried was most likely wine.

According to Aboutaam this stamnos was made near the end of the 6th century, B.C.E. “Attic” refers to Attica, which includes Athens and was the prestige dialect of Greek.

Discussing the various types of storage containers in use in ancient Greece, Hicham explained that water would be stored in a hydria, wine in an amphora, and olive oil in a small, hanging alabastron. This stamnos was probably one of the most rare shapes of Greek vases.

This particular vase was decorated with a chariot race scene in which two dogs are included, one with a bone and the other dog running along with the horses. The Michigan painter, as he is known, depicted the scene with great feeling for the excitement and emotion of a chariot race.

On the shoulders of the vase a banquet is depicted, in which there found three women are alternating with three bearded men, reclining at the meal. According to Aboutaam it is unusual for women to be depicted on a vase in this way.

Phoenix is anxiously awaiting the upcoming International Fine Art and Antique Dealers show

Park Avenue Armory

which should prove to be the best one yet, according to Ali and Hicham Aboutaam of Phoenix Ancient Art.

This is Phoenix’s third year in a row in which they have displayed some of their best art works from the ancient world. The show will be taking place at the Park Avenue Armory located at 66th St. on Park Ave, running from Thursday October 16th until Thursday October 22nd.

At the opening of the show a full color catalogue will be released including all the works which will be present at the show.

Phoenix Ancient Art and the Aboutaam brothers hope to see you there.

Roman Bronze Bust

Hicham and Ali Aboutaam of Phoenix Ancient Art are pleased to announce that they will be displaying many of their antiquities at the upcoming International Fine Art and Antique Dealers Show.  Phoenix will be located in the prominent position of E2, and will feature art works from all over the ancient world, including Rome, Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia and Islam.

There will be a full color catalogue including the works displayed at the show, which is part of Phoenix’s ongoing series of publications of a scholarly nature as well cataloging the fairs they have participated in.
The most prominent feature at the fair on display at the Phoenix booth will be a bigger-than-life ancient Roman sculpture carved from green basalt skillfully rendering a muscular, heroic man’s torso.

Ali Aboutaam has been fascinated with antiquities. As the highly successful leaders of the antiquities collection and exhibition world, Ali Aboutaam and his brother Hicham were born into the world of art and antiquities, and today they continue to acquire miniature masterpieces and artworks for their personal collections, alongside their professional careers in the art industry.

The Aboutaam brothers have both spent time studying archeology and art history. On completing their studies, both brothers joined their father in his business Phoenix Ancient Art, and since taking over the business, the brothers have led the business – the art dealership, the galleries and the exhibitions – to great successes.

Phoenix Ancient Art and the Aboutaam family name have come to represent quality art dealership and top level antiquities admired the world over.

Ali and Hicham Aboutaam arranged an exhibition of “Exotics of the Ancient World.” The following is taken from the introduction to the catalogue which was published for this exhibit.

In the 19th century the neo-classical movement together with the renewed taste for antiquities reinforced the image of ancient idealism. Beauty was filled with elegance and nobility.

Because of this focus on the idealization of beauty, an entire aspect of antiquity was forgotten. The dimension of the ancient world which was marginalized and considered negligible included representations of the strange, unusual and picturesque. These works of art were viewed as trivial and even repulsive.

This collection hopes to suggest a bit of a change of scenery. We believe there is a parallel counterpart in the literature of the times. We at Phoenix Ancient Art believe it is a response to a type of weariness or boredom, perhaps caused by an excess of dignity and grandeur.

Ali and Hicham Aboutaam of Phoenix Ancient Art presented a beautiful catalog displaying unusual antiquities from a class with neglected, forgotten themes.

The following is the introduction to the catalog.

The works of Greco-Roman antiquity are familiar to our vision of the world. We are well acquainted with the themes of reason, moderation and truth, these values being the cornerstones of western civilization as we know it. In addition, the essence of the art is naturalistic: based on objective observations of the reality surrounding us. However the art, as art, goes a step further, responding to the reality with a desire to surpass reality, making it truer, more beautiful, and more perfect than the reality observed. There is systematic idealization, often depicted in the artistic representation of the human form, which is seen as the highest standard of beauty. This is why it is fundamental to the Greek notion of beauty that the gods are represented through the human form, distinguished only through an exceptional sense of majesty.

Ali Aboutaam, along with his brother Hicham, love what they do. They are passionately committed to bringing beautiful art objects of past ages to as many people as possible. Among Phoenix Ancient Art’s clients are some of the world’s greatest museums. When ancient art is on display in a museum setting the wealth of the world’s cultures is shared as widely as possible.

Of course private individuals and collectors purchase antiquities with the desire to enrich their environment, with the beauty and meaning that come from such objects. But along with the privilege of owning and enjoying rare artifacts of extraordinary beauty comes the responsibility of actually acting as a custodian for each work of art. Ultimately these objects that have come down to us through hundreds and in some cases thousands of years cannot really belong to any one individual. These ancient works of art belong to our communal culture and heritage. Each individual owner is really escorting the object through time so that it continues to “live” in a certain sense, into the future generations.

Ali Aboutaam says it best: “Our clients never really own any of these works, but merely look after them in their best possible interest (restoration, conservation, studying, publishing, exhibiting, etc…), for only a brief time span, until parting, and then someone else, be it an individual or an institution, takes over that responsibility.”

The Aboutaams and Phoenix Ancient Art believe in what they do, and it is their wish and goal that as many people as possible can enjoy the privilege of owning objects of beauty and historical significance.