Jul 20

This exquisite piece of the Palmyran Funerary Plaque of a Woman with her Mother comes from the first half of the 2nd century A.D.
This well preserved slab includes the bust of an adult woman who is richly clothed and accompanied by a second woman with a bare torso.  Their faces, as is typical with Palmyran sculptures, don’t display personal character and suggest a vaguely young age.  The woman on the right of the plaque, clearly the deceased, is the matron. This was the woman’s role within the house. She is ornately dressed and adorned in jewels.
The figure on the left is clearly a family member accompanying the deceased. This was very common on Palmyran funerary plaques.
As Phoenix Ancient Art explains, “Stylistically, this plaque can be attributed to the final phases of the first group of Palmyran sculpture and dates to the first half of the 2nd century A.D.; the type of earrings, the schematic folds of the fabric, the shape of the eyes (two concentric circles for the iris and the pupil) confirm this dating.”
Jul 10

Ali Aboutaam sells art from various historical periods including the Archaic and Classical Greek era which started in 800 BCE and lasted until 480 BCE.  In terms of art, it is somewhere between Geometric Art and Classical Greek art.  It is known as archaic because it “contained the seeds of classical art” and came after the Greek Dark Ages.  In terms of politics and culture, this time frame was famous for growth in political theory as well as the start of classical poetry, philosophy, theater and written language.
One such product currently on sale is a very colorful and attractive bottle that probably at one time held some kind of perfumed oil.  Known as an amphoriskos (lit. miniature amphora) its ovoid shape is made from a glass of deep cobalt-blue hue, with a pointed bottom, circular shoulders, cylindrical neck and inward sloping disk rim.  It has opaque yellow glass threading around it from the top, as well as opaque turquoise glass around its widest part.  The handles are made from translucent blue glass.

Jun 26

Much artwork spanning many areas are sold through Phoenix Ancient Art.  One time frame covered is Scythian art and currently on sale through their e-Tiquities website is a Scythian Bronze Axe Head and a Scythian Bronze Deer.  For more information on Scythian art, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scythian_art

Jun 19

Phoenix Ancient Art, co-owned by brothers Ali Aboutaam and Hicham Aboutaam, sells art from many different Eras, including the Cycladic culture.  Art from this culture can be categorized by three time periods: 2800-2500 BCE; 2500-200 BCE; and 2200-2000 BCE.  The art often overlaps these time periods (rather than being restricted to just one period).  The images were often used in graves, suggesting that they were important to the deceased during their lives, as opposed to being made for burial.  Central to Cycladic Art are best described as idols or figurines (most well-known as musicians: harp or pipe players) and gained popularity among the people of mainland Greece and Crete.  Ali Aboutaam is currently selling a Cycladic Marble Plate for $12,500.

Jun 5

Ali Aboutaam, through the e-Tiquities website and with his brother Hicham, sells many different types of ancient elegant artworks, spanning a variety of different time periods.  One of these is the Persian Empire which is actually a combination of a group of empires: Median, Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanian.  This is what makes Persian art so interesting.  One cannot say that there is standard or classic Persian art because it was made over so many different periods, spanning a variety of cultures.  Yet there are still a few motifs that can be seen on all art associated with the Persian Empire, such as the hunt.

Ali Aboutaam and Persian Flask

Currently on sale by Phoenix Ancient Art from this time period is a Sassanian pinched glass flask which is made from yellow-tinged blown glass.  It was probably used for pricey cosmetics or perfume and originally had a stopper.  It has a very narrow neck which suggests the contents were quite precious, restricting the flow.  It is called Sassanian due to its decorative motif, common on Sassanian vessels from the 3rd century AD.

May 16

Ali Aboutaam, co-owner of Phoenix Ancient Art, specializes in various different time periods of historic art.  One such era is the Geometric and Orientalizing Greek Era.  This spans the 9th and 8th centuries BC and was produced throughout Greece, especially Athens.  In fact, in Athens during this time, much geometric pottery was being produced.  In fact, since people seemed to desire good quality dishes around 900 BC, potters really focused on what they were making and put much more detail into their pottery than they had done previously.  Vases with geometric and animal designs are typical of the Geometric Era whereas the Orientalizing Era typically depicts near-eastern motifs through metalwork.
Geometric Art Sold Through Phoenix Ancient Art

The Aboutaams currently have five pieces of art from this time period on sale through e-Tiquities as well as a number of catalogues.  These gems are: a Geometric bronze bird stamp seal; 2 Geometric bronze bulls; a Geometric bronze pendant Pyxis; and a Geometric bronze spherical pendant. This last piece – the pendant – sells for $1,600 and comprises three parts: vertical incisions in the middle; triangle incisions both at the top and bottom; upper stem pierced and curved.

May 6

Madison Avenue is set to hold their third annual Gallery Walk, on May 15, 2010.  Phoenix Ancient Art will be participating in this event along with over 50 other art galleries.  It is set to be quite a prestigious affair for all those serious about art.  Faculty members from the New York City public school will lead groups on free tours of galleries on Madison Avenue.  Partners and sponsors of the event include: HSBC Bank; the Fund for Public Schools; New York Magazine, hosted by Madison Avenue.
Phoenix Ancient Art Working Toward Fund Raising

As well as being a highly successful company, by taking part in the above event, Phoenix Ancient Art will be helping arts education in the city of New York’s public schools. The event is seeking to raise monies for the Fund for Public Schools.  Events at the fundraiser include:  scavenger hunt; meeting those who work in art such as artist Winfred Rembert (who is currently exhibiting ‘Memories of my Youth’), curator Chris Santa Maria and art owner Larry Matlick.  There will be special talks and viewings as well as opportunities to meet interesting and well-rounded artists, owners and curators discussing exhibitions in particular and their work in general.

Mar 7

phoenix torsoThe buzz was felt by all at the recent International Fine Art & Antique Dealers Show at the Park Avenue Armory in October. Apter-Fredericks of London, which sells 18th-century English furniture, had a fantastic opening night. London book dealer Bernard Shapero sold a large “Ricci map” which is one of seven copes of the map fo the world that was made by Italian Jesuit priest Matteo Ricci in 1602.

Certainly, Phoenix Ancient Art, with Ali Aboutaam and Hicham Aboutaam, was there, showing their exceptional antiques. At the opening, the Aboutaam gallery sold a Greek oinochoe-shaped head vase that dated from the 5th century B.C. It went for $300,000. They also sold a large fragment of a basalt turtle from Egypt or Mesopotamia from around 3000 B.C.

Another antiques dealer, James Ede, sold 13 pieces on the opening night and had three more on reserves. A great success for everyone!

Feb 28

Certainly, it’s not always easy to know how to go about purchasing an antique. There are a number of precautions that you can take to make sure that you get a legitimate antique and one from a reputable company.

Take a look at the U.S. State Departments website where you’ll see which countries have bilateral agreements on antiques or emergency rulings. The site also offers an image database where you can see pictures of restricted artifacts.

You can also check images against the Art Loss Register which is an international database of lost and stolen art. Certainly, the more that you know about the piece that you are buying, the more valuable it will be. Make sure to work with a reputable auction house and that you buy from auction houses that offer money-back guarantees. Ali Aboutaam and Hicham Aboutaam, for instance, offer this money-back guarantee at Phoenix Ancient Art, which makes a tremendous difference in the dependability of the purchase.

Feb 14

scarabHere is an example of the beautiful antiquities from Egypt available from Phoenix Ancient Art. The scarab is an example of the most popular type of amulet worn in ancient Egypt. This scarab, dating from the 1600 BC to the 1200 BC has a carved exterior that is made to look like a scarab beetle. The scarab beetle was a symbol of rebirth in ancient Egypt and was also representative of Ra, the Egyptian sun god.

This type of scarab theme in amulets was first seen in the First Intermediary period and it persisted through the Late period. The Egyptians believed that a giant scarab beetle pushed the sun across the sky each day and this popularity led to its depiction in jewelry and other items. This is one of the many examples of ancient Egyptian antiques available from Ali Aboutaam and Hicham Aboutaam.

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