Destroying artwork

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by Rick

"What're you in for?"
"Inheriting a 200 year old Ivory handled sword."

They are all "bone" hilted swords and daggers as of now!!!

[ariel]

What about walrus ivory?
Rhino?

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by ariel

What about walrus ivory?
Rhino?

Ariel, very problematic, rhino is now "horn" and walrus is bone, I have also seen several sellers lately that somehow forgot to mention the hilt material at all on items they were selling. I think if not sold soon we may eventually have almost no way of selling these items and will just have to keep them as momentos. I just went through what I owned and found several suspect items I forgot about, not sure what to do now.

[Battara]

As I see it, 4 things that contribute at a foundational level to this issue:

1. the problem of telling the difference between pre-ban 1976 and 1989 ivory versus recent "kill" ivory.

2. laziness of administrators not bothering to learn the difference between 100 aged ivory and recent ivory.

3. the question of fossilzed ivory

4. the problem of illegal black market ivory pumped into the US - a HUGE underground market

[David]

Originally Posted by Battara

As I see it, 4 things that contribute at a foundational level to this issue:

1. the problem of telling the difference between pre-ban 1976 and 1989 ivory versus recent "kill" ivory.

2. laziness of administrators not bothering to learn the difference between 100 aged ivory and recent ivory.

3. the question of fossilzed ivory

4. the problem of illegal black market ivory pumped into the US - a HUGE underground market

We did discuss this once before i believe, but a test has been developed for at least determining if an ivory object is pre-1947 or not though carbon-14 tests.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/environ...-ban-1-1363787
Obviously there should be no problem at all determining the legitimacy of fossilized ivory.

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by David

We did discuss this once before i believe, but a test has been developed for at least determining if an ivory object is pre-1947 or not though carbon-14 tests.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/environ...-ban-1-1363787
Obviously there should be no problem at all determining the legitimacy of fossilized ivory.

...carbon 14 tests are not cheap. in 2012 it cost around £450 (US$ 650) per. might be worth it on the upper end items tho.

[Bob A]

All very distressing in the face of a legal system that is based on the premise that one is innocent until proven guilty, with the burden of proof on the prosecution.

[David]

Originally Posted by kronckew

...carbon 14 tests are not cheap. in 2012 it cost around £450 (US$ 650) per. might be worth it on the upper end items tho.

Well, firstly, i have seen testing offered for less than that. Also, as with any technology, prices could drop over time as methods are perfected and more people require the service. So i don't necessarily see this as a monetarily restrictive dead end.

[Bob A]

Originally Posted by ariel

What about walrus ivory?
Rhino?

The trend is for the various individual states to ban all forms of ivory, to keep it simple. (See link above).

[Rick]

Antiques incorporating ivory no longer cross the auction block in MA.