Hicham Aboutaam: Phoenix Ancient Art Hosts In-Person Exhibition

More than two millennia ago – three hundred years before Cleopatra lived – Ptolemaic Queen Arsinoe reigned over Thrace, Anatolia, and Macedonia. An exalted queen of the Lagid dynasty, a marble head of her face carved by an Alexandria artist is now on show in New York.

Most of us have primarily been living online for more than a year. Finally, galleries are welcoming the public back to soak up an array of art and culture that has been so sorely missed since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Phoenix Ancient Art – one of the world’s leading antiquities dealers – has opened its new gallery with “Sense and Sensibility.” Aptly timed to coincide with Women’s History Month and continuing until May, this exhibition is a true celebration and appreciation of some of history’s most powerful women.

Hicham Aboutaam, co-founder of Phoenix Ancient Art said: “The best way to enjoy art is up close and personal, and even better when you can actually hold some of these objects in your hands and feel the modeling on the figure of Bastet. I am thrilled to welcome visitors to the gallery again to see all of the beauty and power of women in antiquity.”

Sense and Sensibility gallery attendees are privy to some magnificent ancient works from between the tenth century B.C and the fourth century A.D. Of particular note at the exhibition are a plaque of Athena and an amulet depicting the goddess Bastet.

The Tarantine Terracotta Plaque with Fighting Athena (made from terracotta,height: 10.2 cm), depicts Athena’s military prowess. Wearing a helmet, the figure is enrobed in chiton and peplos, creating the appearance of fast movement. The shield she holds is adorned with a gorgoneion, a talisman against evil spirits. According to the author of Women in Ancient Greece, Sue Blundell, “Athena is generally represented as a highly androgynous figure… although she is female, she rejects the role of marriage and motherhood which most Greek men saw as fundamental to a woman’s existence.” While the plaque’s form and posture are masculine, the figure and the garments that adorn it are distinctly feminine.

The Ancient Egyptian Faience Amulet of the Goddess Bastet (made from faience, height: 8 cm) is a hybrid of a woman with a Felidae head. Wearing a long, tight robe to the feet, the figure sits on a low-backed throne. This amulet is extremely detailed, especially for one so small in size. Egyptologist Ian Shaw explained that Bastet would have been connected to the Egyptian calendar’s five epagomenal days, like the other lioness-goddesses. Every year, Egyptian pilgrims would visit the Bastet’s temple to participate in the many festivals it hosted.

Phoenix Ancient Art was originally founded by Ali and Hicham Aboutaam’s father Sleiman in 1968. Today they have a presence for artifact collectors and antique lovers in Geneva and New York. Some of their pieces can also be viewed online at phoenixancientart.com and e-Tiquities.com but what a joy it is to finally be able to appreciate them in person. It has been so long that it would not be surprising if it led to a mini eruption of the ‘senses.’

The ‘Sense and Sensibility’ exhibition will be open until May 14th at Electrum, 725 5th Avenue, 19th floor, New York, NY 10022, Monday to Friday 9.30am-5.30pm.