Ultimately these objects that have come down to us over hundreds—and, in some cases–thousands of years—of not really belong to any one individual, but belong to our communal culture and heritage. Each individual owner is only escorting the object through time, so that it continues to “live” for future generations.

As one antique dealer, Ali Aboutaam, explained “Our clients never really own any of these works, but merely look after them in their best possible interest (restoration, conservation, studying, publishing, exhibiting, etc…), for only a brief time span, until parting, and then someone else, be it an individual or an institution, takes over that responsibility.”

But when an object is not only ancient, but is also considered an art object, either when it was created, such as a sculpture or paintings, or in the present day, such as coins or pottery, the object takes on a significance much more meaningful than the mere fact that the object is old.