With swathes of white fabric covering my hair and clothes, you might think I am dressing up as a mummy or auditioning for a part in The Crucible.
But the reason for my unusual attire is much simpler; I am having a colour analysis done.
Under the careful guidance of Janet Small - Dubai's only House of Colour consultant - I am discovering which hues complement my skin tone and eye colour and which have totally the opposite effect.
Why this matters is key. Most of us wear only 15 per cent of our wardrobe, which shows we instinctively feel better in some clothes than others and in most cases that preference comes down to colour.
Wearing the wrong colour can accentuate wrinkles, black eyes, a double chin, weight gain and even cause someone to look tired and drained.
Get it right, and wrinkles and bags under the eyes magically disappear, chins look slimmer and the face less rounded as the light reflected from the colour of the clothes boosts your features. It is like a facelift without the surgery.
"People often find a T-shirt they like and buy it in every colour but they'll wear the wrong colour T-shirts far less because they don't look as good. They just don't know why," says Small, a mother of three grown-up sons who became an image consultant five years ago after running her own wedding dress shop in the UK for 20 years.
Which is how I find myself sitting in front of a long mirror in Small's luxurious Arabian Ranches villa in the "girls' playroom"- a studio filled with colourful clothes, make-up and accessories.
While such a girlie enclave may seem like paradise for some, I'm the type of girl who only shops once a year, has a minimal relationship with make-up and only learnt to use a hair dryer a year ago, so appearance has never been a priority.
But over the next couple of hours I am lured in by Janet's warm personality and find myself immersed in a sea of emerald greens, sapphire reds and electric blues.
Colour analysis is based on the historical theories of artists and chemists who concluded that colour is not static but something that, like people, has a personality and can change depending on who it comes into contact with.
It was the introduction of colour to film in the 1930s that ignited an interest in how colour can affect personal appearance. While an actress could look great on screen one day, she could look terrible the next, demonstrating that the change in appearance was due to the effect the colours were having on her skin.
At House of Colour, a UK-based company which also has a consultant in Abu Dhabi, colours are divided by the four seasons, with warm-based colours complementing those in the spring and autumn groups and cool-based colours enhancing summer and winter clients.
After a quick chat about my lifestyle as a working mother, I am invited into the studio where I sit in front of a mirror and my clothes and hair are covered to ensure the test is based purely on skin tone.
Small places a series of swatches of fabric around my neck to decide if I am a warm or cool toned person. Electric blue - a cool tone - is quickly followed by burgundy, a warm tone.
"It's not about the colour, it's about your skin and how it reacts to the colour," explains Small.
"Looking at your skin and shape of your face and eyes, the burgundy is not good because your face looks wider and you lose the definition between your face and your neck. With electric blue you've instantly got a nice chin."
The next stage analyses if I have strong or soft tones with the conclusion Winter's strong tones of purple, scarlet, emerald blue, mint ice, charcoal - and thankfully, black - all fit with me.
A mini make-up session follows. Small insists I wear lipstick - something I rarely use because of my lack of an Angelina Jolie pout.
"Winters have the most wonderfully neutral palette with black, white, and grey, but they need a pep of colour; that could be a necklace or a lipstick," says Small who has one final trick up her sleeve.
She stocks season-specific outfits for clients to try on and buy if they like them. For me, she picks out a fabulous long navy patterned dress, an emerald green fitted dress and a Grecian-style gown in charcoal - none of which I would ever consider picking off a shop rail myself.
With compliments flying, I'm starting to realise why the Dh700 session is so uplifting. It allows you a few hours to focus on yourself and understand what suits you as an individual.
"There is a whole variety of reasons people come; it could be a man, a woman, a housewife or an executive. A lot of people do it because they are looking at getting a promotion," says Small.
"Then there are those who have had personal difficulties. One lady bought her mum along and later emailed: 'I haven't seen my mum as animated since my Dad died. She's sorted out her wardrobe, been out shopping and is getting out and about again.'"
A confidence boost is one of the reasons Briton Debbie Steedman had her colours analysed. The freelance social media specialist was feeling low as she adapted to a new life as a stay-at-home mum to her eight-year-old daughter.
"Then my husband lost his job in the recession and things were all up in the air. I wasn't working, I'd put on quite a bit of weight and I just felt empty," she explains.
So Steedman, 47, booked a consultation with Small in 2009.
"Janet taught me how to look good. I'd gone from a career woman wearing fabulous dresses and suits to wearing tracksuit bottoms and T-shirts because I didn't see any need to dress up.
"I was probably depressed and often joke: 'if I hadn't had this done, I would have ended up in Prozac alley'.
Steedman then encouraged her engineer husband to have his colours analysed.
"I've never seen him wear a wrong colour since he had it done. He never cheats," she says."Last year he had a trilby made and wears it to work everyday. He's really identified his fashion niche."
At Colour Me Beautiful, a similar concept, the consultants divide clients into six colour categories by first deciding if they are deep, light, clear, cool, soft or warm based on their hair colour.
The second test determines if the skin is yellow or blue toned and the third can find out what depth of colour can be worn.
This is followed by a full analysis of your make-up bag and a makeover to ensure you are wearing the right products for your skin tone.
And like House of Colour, clients walk away with a colour wallet they can take shopping to ensure they only buy clothing in their colours.
"It does change your life because it's not just your clothes, it's your make-up as well; it's surprising how many people wear the wrong foundation," says Denice Collins, a former estate agent from the UK, who trained as a consultant a year ago and now has a studio in her spacious villa in Dubai's Victory Heights.
"Knowing your colours cuts shopping time because you can walk past rails of clothes that are not your colours. And it stops impulse buying so you save money in the long run."
Collins switched careers to join Colour Me Beautiful, which also has consultants in Abu Dhabi, after having her own colours analysed.
"I loved it but the company only allow a few people in an area so I had to wait until someone left.
"Then I did all the courses, handed in my notice and haven't looked back since. It's really nice to make people happy," says Collins, who also offers styling and wardrobe de-cluttering sessions.
Over the next two hours Collins concludes that I am soft, warm and light, leaving me with 42 colours to choose from.
But it is the make-up session I benefit from the most. As Collins rummages through my make-up bag, I discover black mascara is too harsh and I should opt for brown. My blusher and eyeshadows are almost spot on but, again, lipstick is a must.
Best of all, Collins teaches me how to apply eyeliner, meaning I can put years of wobbly black lines around my eyes behind me. Instead of liquid liner, I use a wet angled brush and a brown eyeshadow to dab the liner on. It is a mini milestone.
For Suzanne McDonald, a 39-year-old confectioner, having her colours analysed with House of Colour four years ago has transformed her life.
"I thought if I'm going to do this I'm going to do it properly, so I went home and gave away all the clothes that I knew were definitely not right to charity. Then I went shopping with my colour wallet and bought things to replace them," she says. McDonald, a mother of two teenage children, says friends and family instantly noticed a difference.
"They don't notice what you're wearing necessarily, they just say: 'oh you look great' and ask if you've lost weight. And because you are wearing the right colours you look healthier."
McDonald was so impressed she took the process one step further and booked Small for a style consultation and a personality test.
The personality test uses pantomime characters to decide which type of personality someone is.
"I am a romantic, which makes me the highwaymen or the swashbuckler, so I need embellishments like boots with buckles or straps, textures like heavy velvet and chunky statement jewellery
"I was doing it to an extent anyway but this gives you permission to wear the colours and clothes that you like because you know what works best for you."
Having my own colours assessed made me realise a few things about myself. I do wear too much black; I don't wear enough make-up for a woman of my slowly advancing years and I don't pay enough attention to the way I look.
But the process is more than just finding out your colours; it's about taking time out to invest in yourself.
As I point out to Collins, 'my husband looks at himself in the mirror more than I do."
"Well, it's time to change that," she replies firmly.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Pots for the Asian Qualifiers
Pot 1: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China
Pot 2: Iraq, Uzbekistan, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Vietnam, Jordan
Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Chinese Taipei, Philippines
Pot 4: Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Malaysia
Pot 5: Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Guam, Macau/Sri Lanka
WHAT%20ARE%20THE%20PRODUCTS%20WITHIN%20THE%20THREE%20MAJOR%20CATEGORIES%3F
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
65
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Women%E2%80%99s%20Asia%20Cup
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
UAE cricketers abroad
Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.
Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.
MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
Results
Men's finals
45kg:Duc Le Hoang (VIE) beat Zolfi Amirhossein (IRI) points 29-28. 48kg: Naruephon Chittra (THA) beat Joseph Vanlalhruaia (IND) TKO round 2.
51kg: Sakchai Chamchit (THA) beat Salam Al Suwaid (IRQ) TKO round 1. 54kg: Veerasak Senanue (THA) beat Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) 30-25.
57kg: Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) RSC round 3. 60kg: Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 30-27.
63.5kg: Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE) 29-28. 67kg: Narin Wonglakhon (THA) beat Mohammed Mardi (UAE) 29-28.
71kg: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) w/o Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ). 75kg: Youssef Abboud (LBN) w/o Ayoob Saki (IRI).
81kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Khaled Tarraf (LBN) 29-28. 86kg: Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Emil Umayev (KAZ) 30-27.
91kg: Hamid Reza Kordabadi (IRI) beat Mohamad Osaily (LBN) RSC round 1. 91-plus kg: Mohammadrezapoor Shirmohammad (IRI) beat Abdulla Hasan (IRQ) 30-27.
Women's finals
45kg: Somruethai Siripathum (THA) beat Ha Huu Huynh (VIE) 30-27. 48kg: Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Colleen Saddi (PHI) 30-27.
51kg: Wansawang Srila Or (THA) beat Thuy Phuong Trieu (VIE) 29-28. 54kg: Ruchira Wongsriwo (THA) beat Zeinab Khatoun (LBN) 30-26.
57kg: Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Zahra Nasiri Bargh (IRI) 30-27. 60kg: Kaewrudee Kamtakrapoom (THA) beat Sedigheh Hajivand (IRI) TKO round 2.
63.5kg: Nadiya Moghaddam (IRI) w/o Reem Al Issa (JOR).
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Match info
Uefa Nations League A Group 4
England 2 (Lingard 78', Kane 85')
Croatia 1 (Kramaric 57')
Man of the match: Harry Kane (England)
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
More on Quran memorisation:
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Barbie
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