For many people, antiquities collecting seems like something for only the very wealthy, but with Phoenix Ancient Art’s innovative e-commerce site — the world of high-end antiquities has been opened to a larger audience than ever before.
Photo: Phoenix Ancient Art archives ©
The site, e-tiquities.com, features antiquities available for purchase online from the cultures that thrived in and around the Mediterranean basin. They include a wide range of art, including jewellery, figurines, amulets, sculptures, and vases from areas such as Greece, Rome, Egypt, and Byzantium.
As an example, one e-tiquity currently on the site is an ancient Egyptian necklace with a pendant of the Goddess Sekhmet, once exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1920.
“In launching e-tiquities by Phoenix Ancient Art, we hope both to introduce a new audience to the cultures of the ancient world, and to give our existing clients an easy way to expand their collections,” said Hicham Aboutaam, President of Electrum, the New York agent for Phoenix Ancient Art. “One of the things which makes Phoenix Ancient Art special in our field is the guarantee of authenticity that is provided to our clients, whether they buy works in our galleries or on our new website. Over the years, we’ve developed procedures to establish provenance (chain of ownership) to ensure that our pieces are both authentic and on the market in accordance with international law.”
“Given current economic conditions, people of all financial status are looking for safer havens for their investments,” said Mr. Aboutaam. “Antiquities have always been a good alternative through both booms and busts, and unlike stocks or bonds, the return on investment includes a piece of timeless beauty.”
The e-tiquities have been carefully selected for their aesthetic quality, as well as for their price point. By showcasing a broad range of cultures and periods, as well as various types of objects, e-tiquities.com illustrates just how diverse a collection can be. In addition, the site includes a wealth of information on each of the featured cultures, making it a valuable reference tool.
