eBay "liquidated" my antique blade!

[adamb]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

This is just how things are, sad but we have to lump it. I would even be careful of importing items with bone handle are elements.

Thanks Tim.

The eBay keris was not from a collector, it was from an estate sale. From the perspective of the seller, the keris was a random object they clearly knew very little about. The brief description the seller provided contained no information about the raw material(s) comprising the hilt and buntut. Hence, there was no mention of any of the materials or components of the keris being organic parts of animals that would fall under CITES prohibitions. I do not understand how I can apply for a CITES certificate under these circumstances based on a couple of photos of an unexplained whitish-looking material in the eBay listing. They could have been plastic/resin replacement parts for all I know.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by adamb

I am neither, Detlef, and you are not very polite; how can I arrange CITES papers for an object that, according to the seller's description, raises no issues CITES-wise.

Hello Adam,

I woke up at 4 a.m., took a look at this thread, and was deeply shocked when I saw the auction photos you posted. I am quite certain that you knew full well that both the hilt and the foot of the scabbard are made of some variety of ivory.
Even if the keris had somehow managed to leave the USA by some fluke, it would almost certainly have been confiscated by Australian customs. It wasn't for nothing that I posted the attached thread; you could have known that this was a gamble. Incidentally, the seller also violated eBay's rules.
I couldn't find any other words this morning—sorry. It wasn't meant to be rude! I am sorry that you perceived my words as rude, but I am a person who speaks plainly.

Best regards,
Detlef

[adamb]

Originally Posted by Sajen

Hello Adam,

I woke up at 4 a.m., took a look at this thread, and was deeply shocked when I saw the auction photos you posted. I am quite certain that you knew full well that both the hilt and the foot of the scabbard are made of some variety of ivory.
Even if the keris had somehow managed to leave the USA by some fluke, it would almost certainly have been confiscated by Australian customs. It wasn't for nothing that I posted the attached thread; you could have known that this was a gamble. Incidentally, the seller also violated eBay's rules.
I couldn't find any other words this morning—sorry. It wasn't meant to be rude! I am sorry that you perceived my words as rude, but I am a person who speaks plainly.

Best regards,
Detlef

I am not interested your sorry-not-sorry apology, just an explanation as to how one would go about applying for a CITES permit through the relevant authorities in both the US and Australia when the materials in question are unidentified.

"I am quite certain that you knew full well that both the hilt and the foot of the scabbard are made of some variety of ivory."

You are quite wrong: I have seen components that, based on the (usually poor) online images, look very much like ivory (these are Australian auctions I'm talking about) that turn out to be modern resin.