Destroying artwork

[ariel]

What can we do with our own ivory-, walrus- and rhino - handled swords and daggers?
Is it safe to buy such items from foreign countries to be shipped here?
What about shipping outside the U.S. ? Within the US?

These stories open a huge can of poisonous worms for antique dealers and weapon collectors.

[Rick]

Originally Posted by ariel

What can we do with our own ivory-, walrus- and rhino - handled swords and daggers?
Is it safe to buy such items from foreign countries to be shipped here?
What about shipping outside the U.S. ? Within the US?

These stories open a huge can of poisonous worms for antique dealers and weapon collectors.

And you probably never dreamed that your own country could or would mark you as a criminal.......neither did I.

Oh well off to the Fun store for more ammo for the AR.

[Tim Simmons]

It is truly ghastly to see such vandalism even if done with good intention. Destroying ivory to kill the market, prestige concept of the material is probably only happening in " western " countries. Where I think there is little demand for new ivory. This is hitting the wrong people. However I can understand the the no if,s and buts view.

[kronckew]

political correctness at it's work again.

i lost a few old ivory netsuke i bought in japan a couple decades back. US customs just took them.

this thread's destruction is like defacing the mona lisa to avoid offending someone.

[Lee]

This article covers some of the implications. I expect that these regulations will ultimately face court challenge as it is a seizure of the value of a person's property without adequate justification.

Obviously I do not at all believe the demonization of antique ivory is going to save any wildlife. Indeed Kenya's recent mass ivory burn was just stupid. Sell it though legal channels to where there is demand for big money and use the proceeds to combat the poachers.

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Lee

This article covers some of the implications. I expect that these regulations will ultimately face court challenge as it is a seizure of the value of a person's property without adequate justification.

Obviously I do not at all believe the demonization of antique ivory is going to save any wildlife. Indeed Kenya's recent mass ivory burn was just stupid. Sell it though legal channels to where there is demand for big money and use the proceeds to combat the poachers.

Oh, that would be too damn easy Lee.
How the hell do we always manage to wind up with people running the show that do things like this?

[Norman McCormick]

Originally Posted by Rick

How the hell do we always manage to wind up with people running the show that do things like this?

Anyone who wants to make politics their career should automatically be barred from doing so!!!

[Robert]

The immeasurable stupidity as well as the blind following of the new 'politically correct" doctrine that lead to this is far more dangerous than just what is shown here. Unless something is done that will change this kind of thinking I am afraid of what might come next. Can you imagine if this were to become the norm what our museums might look like in the future? Not just the removal of offencive objects, ivory, edged weapons, but possibly the wanton removal and destruction of these items as well as anything else that might be deemed offencive in the eyes of the politically correct. The removal of the ivory on the items originally being discussed is not only the senseless destruction of objects of art, but of history itself.

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Norman McCormick

Anyone who wants to make politics their career should automatically be barred from doing so!!!

We need a vaccine for this disease.

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by Lee

... Sell it though legal channels to where there is demand for big money and use the proceeds to combat the poachers.

sell it at a low bargain price that makes it uneconomical for poachers to carry on...

[kai]

sell it at a low bargain price that makes it uneconomical for poachers to carry on...

That doesn't work, especially when stupid "pseudo-pharmaceutic" demand exceeds remaining wildlife as evident with rhino. I hear that even despite being regarded as useless from a TCM point of view, antique horn gets stripped from cultural artifacts for resale to dumb "customers" which is just as criminal for the preservation of mankind's cultural heritage.

This is a terribly difficult subject and I do understand those with good and certainly laudable intentions who want to save rhinos, elephants, tigers, and other wildlife in jeopardy. Given the extreme losses we have been witnessing during the last decades, I could live with fairly drastic measures - if they really work and also take into account that antique cultural artifacts are a heritage of mankind that also desperately needs to be preserved from extinction, i. e. destruction.

Regards,
Kai

[asomotif]

Originally Posted by kronckew

this thread's destruction is like defacing the mona lisa to avoid offending someone.

Her right wrist is still very naked.

[kronckew]

removed by me to 'not offend'.

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by ariel

What can we do with our own ivory-, walrus- and rhino - handled swords and daggers?
Is it safe to buy such items from foreign countries to be shipped here?
What about shipping outside the U.S. ? Within the US?

These stories open a huge can of poisonous worms for antique dealers and weapon collectors.

Ariel, I have personally passed on buying these items only recently. Luckily I only have a few items with ivory, and remember that ivory can come from several sources. There will certainly be a black market for antique weapons with ivory hilts, inlay etc. If you can not openly and accurately describe the hilt material and inlay on your weapons how do you sell the without worrying about the buyer coming back on you someday if they eventually have a problem.

Hopefully some very rich and powerful collector has to deal with this problem, that may be the only way we will ever get any help.