For several decades now, Egyptian art is no longer the domain of a privileged few who know how to savour its beauties.

Artists, painters, and architects who had initially spurned it or just assigned it a limited role in the great eras of Art, began taking another look at it in the turn of the 20th century and ended up deeply affected by its beauty and power.

Their admiration grew as they got a chance to study Egyptian artworks up close.

In this evolution, certain people played a role, sometimes an important one, which we tend all too much to forget.

While scholars, museums, travellers, men of letters, the first, must be given credit for provoking renewed understanding of the art of Egypt, others have also contributed, more modestly, to this awakening. These are the Antiquities dealers.

When an antiquities dealer is a man of taste, who knows how to choose from multiple works presented to him, he has some influence on the ideas of people interested in the art he deals in.

If he attaches to this quality that of a vast culture, it is not surprising the role he can have in the evolution of artistic ideas.

And, if he perfects his learning through scientific knowledge, it is also no surprise that he has an influence on Museums and their collections.

The Khawam Brothers are without a doubt these antiquities dealers.