Choora for comment

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by kronckew

certain groups have a tendency to confiscate certain whiteish toothy products and auction houses have been known to tear the ivo..er bone off of art objects that happen to be weapons, thus destroying their value. it's bone i tell you, bone, if anyone asks.CITES has no respect for age or value. most auction houses cannot withstand a fine or prosecution, so they can knuckle under...

Aha... I know what you mean!

I had absolutely no problem selling and buying antique blades with ivory scales... wihin EU.

Also got some from US, but with a certificate attesting they are antique and not recently tampered with ... albeit this did not happen very recently.

As with regards to the destroyed objects, it was not the auction house who destroyed them but their own moronic owners, in their rush for a quick solution to the problem. For them it was a much easier and definitely a much quicker fix to simply mutilate the art objects and destry the ivory parts, than file a formal request and pay for an authorised expertise, then go through the whole lengthy legal procedure.

Anyhow, it is always better to be safe than sorry.