Traders face stricter rules on ivory sales

The trade in antique ivory works of art is about to be severely curtailed, according to government proposals.

Only portrait miniatures more than

100 years old, items with no more than 10 per cent ivory content, pre-1975 musical instruments with less than 20 per cent ivory content, and the rarest and most important works of art of their type will escape the ban.

Trade representatives have only a matter of months to plead for less stringent restrictions before the new legislation will be enacted. This signals victory for

non-political organisations like Tusk, which have exerted pressure from the outset for a total ban however distanced an antique ornament may appear to be from the slaughter of elephants today.

Whether a total ban was the right option, instead of focusing on controlling the trade of fake antique ivory, often used as a cover by dealers for trading new ivory, remains questionable.