Choora for comment

[Ian]

Originally Posted by G. Mansfield

... As for the scales, if they are of ivory, the auction house did not know. They listed as a "Middle eastern dagger with bone handle" I don't think they even knew exactly what they were selling, just a general ME dagger. As for the general description that they gave, I'm not entirely bought on the bone aspect after seeing it in first person but I could be wrong. ...

I think the Auction House probably knew that the scales were ivory and the "bone" description was inserted to avoid the legal implications of CITES that cover the sale and shipment of ivory and other endangered species artefacts. You are lucky that the Customs folks let it through. Other members here have had similar items confiscated.

Ian.