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| 'Sacred Scents and Flames from the Ancient World'- Phoenix Ancient Art |
Phoenix Ancient Art, a dealer of rare and exquisite
antiquities, recently unveiled a new exhibition called “Sacred Scents and
Flames from the Ancient World.” The gallery, which will be displayed at the art
dealer’s New York gallery, will showcase numerous items that were previously unpublished.
“The exhibition gives a fascinating opportunity to see an
important selection of ancient lamps and the incense burners and to explore how
the ancient civilizations of Pre-Classical and Classical world designed their
lighting devices,” explained Ali Aboutaam, president of Phoenix Ancient Art.
“From the very beginning, various religions worshipped the
eternal, divine flame, and even the most powerful kings had to pay a tribute to
a flame. Incense, which is closely linked to fire and flame, quickly became the
important element in the liturgical ceremonies in various religions,” he
continued. “An Islamic bronze censer shaped as a feline, which is dated to the
11th century A.D., is a masterpiece of the bronze cast technique;
its surface is an open work in the shape of floral motifs, which allowed the
perfumed smoke to escape and spread.”
Mr. Aboutaam went on to say that “Beside sensational gold
and silver incense burners, elaborate and also expensive bronze lamps, there is
a great number of rather simple clay Roman lamps which were apparently
affordable for many at that time, but what an amazing information a contemporary
collector can get looking at their reliefs. The bucolic scenes inspired by
Virgil’s verses; a libation onto a small altar accompanied by a music; the
images of Capitoline deities, the gladiatorial fight- it is like the life of
the great Rome is reviving on these small representations.”
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