Phoenix Ancient Art

Phoenix Ancient Art was founded by the Lebanese businessman Sleiman Aboutaam in 1968[9] and incorporated in 1995. The business continues today under the leadership of his son, Ali Aboutaam, and his son, Hicham Aboutaam has his own New York based gallery, Electrum.[10][9]

Ali and Hicham Aboutaam.

Ali and Hicham were born in Beirut in 1965 and 1967 respectively. In the 1980s, at the height of the Lebanese Civil War, Ali was kidnapped by a Syrian gang and held hostage until Sleiman procured his release.[11] Following the incident, the family (Sleiman, Souad, the boys and their sister Noura) relocated to Geneva, Switzerland, where they continue to operate a branch of the business today.

In the early 90s, the young men earned a formidable reputation as buyers. Nicknamed "Tall and Taller" by the socialite set (such as those attending events with art collector Leon Levy and his wife Shelby White), they were the awe and the fear of fellow industry players.[12]

In 1998, the brothers assumed control of the family business. The takeover would have been a natural succession, but it was marked by the sudden loss of Sleiman and Souad on Swissair Flight 111.[13] The resilence demonstrated by the Hicham and Ali was staggering, and proved important through the changing tides of the antiquities market.

In 2003, Hicham Aboutaam was charged with a misdemeanor for falsifying customs documents on a ceremonial drinking vessel.[14] He paid a fine of $5000, the vessel was seized by the authorities,[15] and the customer received a refund.[16]

In 2004, Ali Aboutaam was tried in absentia in an Egyptian court as one of 25 defendants and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment. Aboutaam denied his affiliation with smuggling antiquities from Egypt.[17] In 2008, an arrest warrant was lodged by Egyptian authorities with Interpol and Ali Aboutaam was detained in Bulgaria while on holiday, but was then released.[15]

In 2023, Ali Aboutaam agreed to a plea bargain following a six-year investigation by the Geneva Police Tribunal for using forged documentation. He was given an 18-month suspended jail sentence with three years’ probation and had to pay about $488,000 in legal fees.[18][19] Aboutaam’s lawyers assert that only 18 of the 15,000 antiquities, or 0.01%, requisitioned by the Swiss authorities lacked sufficient documentation.[20] Aboutaam also stated that of all the pieces under investigation, none were proven to have been acquired illegally or stolen.[21] As of January 2023, the court in Geneva had released all but 46 of the seized antiquities.[22]

Phoenix Ancient Art participates in a number of international fairs, such as the Biennale des Antiquaires (Paris), the Brussels Antiques and Fine Art Fair BRAFA (Brussels), the International Fine Art and Antiques Show (New York City),[10] the PAD (London), the Point Art Fine Art Fair (Monaco), the Salon Art + Design (New York),[28] the Spring Masters Fair (New York),[29] and TEFAF (New York).[30] They also hold local themed events in their galleries several times a year accompanied by their gallery publications.