Ali Aboutaam

One of the largest antique shows in the world just concluded. The 55th Brussels Antiques and Fine Arts Fair ran in Brussels from January 22nd to January 31st. 130 antique dealers, including Hicham Aboutaam and Ali Aboutaam of Phoenix Ancient Art, came out to display their outstanding antiques. 36,000 visitors from Belgium and abroad were expected to come to the Tour & Taxi site which includes 133,472 square feet of space.

Started in 1955, the Brussels Antiques and Fine Arts Fair was originally named the Belgium Antiques and Fine Arts Fair. It is said to be the oldest annual event of its type in the world and it welcomes antique dealers from throughout the world to come and display their wares. Antiques on display include Oceanic art, African art, Oriental art, silver, antique jewelery, ceramics, earthenware and porcelain, drawings, engravings, old masters, modern painting, sculpture, carpets, tapestry, antique and modern books, numismatic, contemporary painting and sculpture, and photography.

Find out more about why investing in antiquities could be a great idea for your portolio. Hicham Aboutaam of Phoenix Ancient Art shares suggestions for purchasing antiquities.

Also from the Byzantine period is a silver lamp made from a sheet done in the open work technique of silver engraving. There are three small chains which end at a central hook attached to the lamps upper edge. A clear glass cup was placed inside the silver lamp, which was filled with oil to create light. (Unfortunately the glass cup is lost.) Because the silver is an open work type, light was able to filter through the lamp and was gently diffused onto the surrounding area, while the solid silver parts reflected the light onto the ceiling, creating maximum light by utilizing the reflective properties of the metal.

Most likely the lamp hung above an altar.

The Aboutaams of Phoenix Ancient Art describe this lamp as the finest of a known group of similar lamps, all dating to between the 10th and 12th centuries. A lamp of similar shape is still in use today at the Armenian Church in Jerusalem.

The Aboutaam brothers Ali and Hicham of Phoenix Ancient Art offer a beautiful marriage ring under the category of “jewels and gemstones.” This object is a fascinating solid gold ring from the Byzantine epic. Amazing detail sets this ring off as an exquisite example of the survival of a pagan Roman custom into the context of the recently developed Christian religion.

Depicting the busts of a bride and groom bisected by a cross, a bust of Christ hovers above them with the inscription “BEOY OMONOIA” which is Greek for “concord in God”  placed above and below. The groom’s figure is engraved with an oval-shaped brooch clasping his flounced cloak closed. The bride is adorned with pearl earrings and a matching pearl collar around her neck.

Roman marriage contracts were customarily signed in front of the Emperor’s image, but the Byzantines chritianized this practice by switching the head of Christ for that of the Emperor, as seen is the coin which is approximately 1,500 years old.

Ali Aboutaam and Hicham Aboutaam are the brother team of Phoenix Ancient Art who welcome you on a journey into the fascinating world of ancient civilization. Stepping into either of the art galleries of Phoenix Ancient Art, located in New York and Geneva, is like embarking on a journey through the ages, as you observe antiquities dating back thousands of years.

The world of ancient art is our window onto the world and the civilizations that populated it prior to the birth of our modern cultures and societies. Phoenix Ancient Art, through Ali and Hicham Aboutaam, has brought the past alive at their galleries, which means that even the general public is able to benefit from the finds and artefacts that have often been the sole domain of archaeologists and art fanatics. When it comes to art displays and galleries, as well as art dealership in antiquities, the Aboutaam family is the one address you must visit!

Pheonix Ancient Art, under the proprietorship of Ali and Hicham Aboutaam has a wide variety of ancient works of art, some depicting  themes which are more common or that we are used to from modern artistic styles. One of the more unusual or less understood themes in ancient art is that of the “grotesque.”

The archeological term “grotesque” is used to denote a distinct and important class of objects. These artifacts are usually diminutive, and vary widely in their artistic quality. The “grotesques” exploit physical deformities in the subject matter for the enjoyment of the observers. The ancient artisan frequently exaggerated to the point of caricature the maladies depicted in their subjects.

This particular style was developed in areas such as Asia Minor (Smyrna) and in Egypt (Alexandria). However the popularity of the grotesque style spread throughout the entire Mediterranean during the Hellenistic and Roman Periods.

The subjects of the grotesques varied widely and could include men, on a rare occasion women and/or children, old men, dwarves, obese, emaciated and Africans.

Seen here is a wonderful example of a small statue from the Hellenistic Period. It dates for the 1st century B.C.E. until the 1st century A.D. The statue is most likely a depiction of old man with a domed, bald head; deeply lined face; emaciated back where you can even count the ribs and vertebrae; and frail, thin arms.

Ali Aboutaam and his brother Hicham are happy to present to the public on behalf of Phoenix Ancient Art amazing objects of beauty from the ancient world. Among the many pieces is an idol made from marble originating from the Anatolian world.

Dating from between the 6th and 4th millennium B.C.E. this statuette is 10.8 cm high and in an excellent state of preservation. The sculpture is a simplified representation of the human form, with only the head and arms clearly stated. The face is pointed upwards and the eyes and mouth are merely incisions of straight lines. The nose is a delicate bump and the arms are placed over the belly, without touching, without any indication of hands.

Anatolia is the geographic area where present day Turkey is. The word Anatolia comes from the Greek, meaning “east” or more literally “sunrise.”

Attic Greek Stamnos

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.