Phoenix Ancient Art S.A.

Prestigious Art Fair to be Held at Park Avenue Armory in New York, March 15 - 19

NEW YORK, March 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix Ancient Art, one of the world's leading dealers in rare and exquisite antiquities, today announced it will be exhibiting at the International Asian Art Fair. The fair showcases dozens of notable international galleries and will be held at The Park Avenue Armory, 583 Park Avenue, in New York, on March 15-19.

"The International Asian Art Fair is an exceptional venue, and our works of art will delight connoisseurs of Eastern art as well as intrigue collectors looking to expand their holdings," said Hicham Aboutaam, founder of Phoenix Ancient Art. "We have an exquisite collection of ancient art mainly from Western Asia and the Middle East, and we expect both first time and veteran attendees to be awed by their beauty and diversity."

Among the highlights of the gallery's exhibit is a striking Sumerian alabaster statue of a worshipper. The figure measures 13 inches high, stands clasping its hands in prayer and is distinguished by its well defined naked torso and lower body draped in a full-length sheepskin skirt. The upper part of the skirt is extensively inscribed in cuneiform text which bears the name of a king of the city-state Lagash Ningirsu, modern day Al Hiba. These enigmatic statues were exclusive devotional objects in Sumer during the 3rd millennium B.C. Collectors will be interested to learn that this beautiful piece was once owned by prominent antiquities collector and connoisseur, Charles Gillet of Lausanne, who primarily built his collection during the 1950s.

Phoenix Ancient Art will also be displaying an extraordinarily well preserved Egyptian wooden boat, a near-perfect example of the culture's figurative art. Once a part of the famous tribal and African art collection of Pierre and Claude Verite in France, the piece was excavated in the late 1890s and dates back to Old Kingdom (2640 - 2030 B.C.). The boat houses 11 sailors seated on tiny benches and measures 25 inches long. The sailors are executed using traditional Egyptian linear style with lively painted facial features that exhibit fine attention to detail.

Another captivating piece from the collection is an Islamic footed mina-i dish. This type of highly decorative vessel was often used as a diplomatic gift during important state affairs. The dish boasts exquisitely painted details in shades of bright turquoise, red, violet and black, with traces of gilt depicting two royal figures participating in what appears to be a royal marriage ceremony, giving the modern viewer a glimpse into a hidden world of rites and traditions of the Islamic world of the 12th century.

"Our vetted display of refined antiquities captures the very essence of Eastern cultures," said founder Ali Aboutaam. "We are proud to offer them to the discerning group of collectors at this year's fair."

ABOUT PHOENIX ANCIENT ART

As the leading dealer in Western antiquities, Phoenix Ancient Art (www.phoenixancientart.com) serves a clientele of world-class museums and top private collectors. The gallery's reputation for ensuring pieces of unsurpassed quality from some of the most important and prestigious collections from Europe and America has made Phoenix a leader in the industry. Originally formed in 1968, Phoenix Ancient Art was officially incorporated in 1995 under brothers Hicham and Ali Aboutaam.

Web site: www.phoenixancientart.com/

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