Phoenix Ancient Art Denounces Summary Judgment Based on Procedural Technicality, Not Merit, Against Qatar Investment

LONDON, GB / ACCESS Newswire / April 12, 2025 / In a deeply disappointing turn of events, Phoenix Ancient Art has been handed a summary judgment loss in ongoing litigation with QIPCO (Qatar Investment and Project Development Holding Company), not due to the substance of the case, but solely on procedural grounds. The court’s decision was based on a technical hurdle relating to disclosure which resulted in the exclusion of all of Phoenix’s evidence, testimony, and documents. As a result, the judgment was entered without consideration of the compelling proof Phoenix provided throughout the five-year legal battle.

The litigation stems from QIPCO’s 2020 claims questioning the authenticity of two stone sculptures which was ignited by the unqualified opinion of a British metallurgist:

• A Byzantine Chalcedony Statuette of Nike

• A Greek Marble Head of Alexander the Great

These claims were dismantled, both by scientific proof, as well as the court’s dismissal of the Alexander claim.

Despite the fact that Phoenix had submitted extensive expert analysis supporting its argument (evidence that was not challenged by any expert from QIPCO), the court’s recent ruling struck out Phoenix’s comprehensive defense – which was submitted to the court and includes:

• Museum exhibition records from one of the biggest museums in the world and independent expert opinions

• Scientific authentication reports from the most respectable lab in the world including 14 samples on one of them alone

• Testimony from previous owners with original purchase invoices (dating back as far as 1968)

In 2023, three years after after the original litigation, they produced a new complaint to include allegations of fraudulent misrepresentation, reintroducing a previously dismissed piece and adding a new one (i.e.: A Roman Chalcedony Phalera). The amendment relied heavily on speculative interpretations rather than facts.

Despite Phoenix’s offer to voluntarily provide 100,000 documents from its disclosure database to QIPCO (all its potentially relevant documents in possession, including documents that were already produced in the 2020 disclosure exercise and at the time of purchase)- showing transparency and nothing to hide – the court accepted QIPCO’s argument for Phoenix to undergo a prohibitively costly document-by-document legal review. This financial barrier became the sole reason for Phoenix not completing the disclosure exercise which led to the court’s exclusion of Phoenix’s evidence and the resulting judgment.

Phoenix Ancient Art has served as a trusted source of antiquities for over 50 years, with its artworks housed in leading institutions such as The Louvre, The Getty Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and prestigious university museums including Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Emory. Museum publications have featured Phoenix pieces on their covers – underscoring the gallery’s integrity, scholarship, and the cultural importance of its collection. To this day, Phoenix Ancient Art remains proud to have placed 23 major antiquities in the QIPCO / Al Thani Collection.

“This is not justice,” said a spokesperson for Phoenix Ancient Art. “It’s a technical knockout – not a judgment on truth, merit, or evidence. The value, authenticity, and historical significance of these artworks are beyond dispute, and we stand by the rigorous research and provenance behind every piece.” This technicality meant that QIPCO did not have to prove what they have alleged.

Phoenix Ancient Art will continue to explore all legal avenues to challenge this decision and defend its reputation in the art world.

SOURCE: Phoenix Ancient Art

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire