Phoenix Ancient Art - Background
While formally incorporated in 1995, Phoenix Ancient Art is a 2nd generation Ancient Art business, originally founded in the mid 1960’s by the late S. Aboutaam. Mr. Aboutaam's sons, Ali and Hicham, who grew up steeped in the antiquities trade, took over the business in 1998 and respectively manage with their professional teams: the Geneva and New York City galleries.
The Geneva gallery, at 6 rue Verdaine, in the Old Town.
With exclusive galleries located in New York City and Geneva, Switzerland, Phoenix Ancient Art is considered by many experts to be one of the world's leading dealers in rare and exquisite antiquities.
The Gallery's works of art originate from the cultures making up the essence of Western Civilization: Mesopotamia, the Near East, Egypt, Central Europe, Northern Europe, the Balkans, Eurasia, Southwest Asia, the Steppes, the Greek World and the Roman Empire, Byzantium and Christian, Islam, and European Dark Ages. Consequently, Phoenix Ancient Art's offering includes pieces from a broad geographic sweep of the Mediterranean Basin, taking in the vast expanse between the Iberian Peninsula (which today includes Spain and Portugal) all the way eastward to the Indus River Valley (located in modern Pakistan, where India's first major civilization flourished).
The New York gallery, at 47E. 66th Street.
Its exceptional antiquities represent more than 7,000 years of human existence, from the Neolithic Period of the 6th Millennium B.C. through the 14th Century A.D. In each location, these works of art are displayed in backgrounds of simplicity and elegance, so as to allow every object to take possession of its space and speak for itself. In turn, this serenity affords collectors to solely focus on the artefacts. Carefully selected, each work of art on view is chosen not only for its historical importance, but for its intrinsic beauty and artistic value. Indeed, the objects must first and foremost be appealing to the eye, and to the soul of the collector; only then will its other facets, such as age, culture and historical meaning give it yet another dimension. Taken individually, each object is truly a testimony to the great craftsmanship, refinement, glory and ultimately understanding of the different civilizations, which span the displays. From divine sculptures, refined bronzes, to rare and delicate glass, and mythological colourful mosaics, or exquisitely crafted jewellery, they are all forever unique and a part of our history.