Eco-warriors in ivory towers
The near-total ban on dealing in items containing elephant ivory is a huge blow to antiques owners and traders and will have little if any positive impact for the animals it seeks to protect, says Roger Field
GLASS half empty? Glass half full? My general jauntiness as I write this column tends to reflect whether I have managed to bring home (OK, smuggle home) some fine bargain in the past month or whether – and sadly far more usual – I have once again ended up the frustrated and infuriated underbidder. Not this June. Today, the metaphorical glass is about to be smashed to pieces on the stone floor of tokenism and, apart from a few minor exceptions, there will be nothing left in it for most of us. Let me explain. The Ivory Act 2018, prohibiting the sale of most elephant ivory regardless of age, has been awaiting implementation for a few years now. One reason for this long delay is that those who considered it an iconoclast’s charter – and Michael Gove’s demented dream – fought it all the way to the highest courts. However, they lost. It then, as predicted, became clear to all but the fiercest Goveist/defra eco-warrior that it was going to be a dog’s dinner to implement. On 24 February (updated 16 March), Defra let us know how the act will work in practice should you wish to ‘deal’ in elephant ivory – go to bit.ly/ivorydefra for its advice. But, suffice to say for we simple folk, if you buy or sell elephant ivory outside the few listed exemptions, then you are in deep doo-doo. Get it wrong and you will be looking at a fine of up to £250,000 or five years in prison. What’s more, and I quote: “If the item does contain or is made of ivory, it will be assumed to be elephant ivory unless you can prove otherwise.” So, no excuse of “Sorry guv, I didn’t know…” Or, put another way, serious criminalisation for selling (or buying) something that, as I write this today, legally adorns many homes. And with the onus to be right entirely on you.
Yes, there are some concessions, but these will not save the vast bulk of antique ivory items that most folk tend to own. The most important concession for most of us is that, if an object is less than 10% ivory (go to that link for how Defra suggests you might work that ‘formula’ out – but get it wrong at your peril), then it can be registered and sold. For a mere £20 a pop, mind you. Although, how long will that registration process take, I wonder? Another concession is that objects with ivory in them that were made as a ‘set’ can be viewed in toto when looking at the 10% rule. One example given is an ivory-handled knife in a scabbard; both handle, blade and scabbard count towards the whole.
Antony Cribb’s 29-30 March ‘Spring’ Arms and Armour extravaganza threw up some examples. Basically, ‘containing ivory’ prices have, obviously, been collapsing as this moment loomed ever closer. Being a fan of Hornblower, and Patrick O’brian’s Jack Aubrey, I’ve always rather hankered after a naval dirk, the better of which are often ivory handled. Fine, no-nonsense killers although, I concede, if you had to resort to pulling your fancy dirk on a Frenchman you’d probably already be in serious trouble. Cribb told me that his rule of thumb from here on in with ivory-hilted dirks and knives will be simple: no scabbard, no selling it, because the ivory hilt is near guaranteed to be
For ivory-hilted dirks, it will be simple: no scabbard, no selling it
over 10% of the whole. With a scabbard he will get measuring but, even if under 10%, it will need preregistering. His pre-sale estimates had already dived for this last, pre-ban sale. Two good, ivory-handled ‘Georgian’ dirks, the first with a vicious 16in blade, the second with a 12-incher – still long enough to run you through and pin you to the mast – were estimated at £180 to £220 and £150 to £250, respectively. A few years ago? About £400 to £500. They each sold at a very cheap price for what they are – £190. But, and then again, unless the buyers get them abroad double quick sticks – or don’t care about never being able to sell them – they are about to be worth precisely £0.
Ivory-hilted swords – and the Georgian and Victorian military classes loved an ivory hilt on their better swords – will also present challenges. With scabbard, almost certainly OK. Without scabbard, out will come the tape measure. So, at Cribb’s, an 1805-pattern naval sword (that’s Trafalgar vintage) with scabbard was estimated at £600 to £800 and fetched £1,500. While the next two nearidentical 1805-pattern swords, without scabbards and therefore almost certainly over 10% ivory, were both estimated £180 to £220 – doubtless to guarantee a sale – and sold for £400 and £420, respectively.
FIREARMS
Firearms are not escaping scot-free either. Holts’ smorgasbord of weaponry on 21-22 March had a few examples. First, and a probable future no-hoper, was the ivory-handled Merwin & Hulbert .4440 double-action self-ejecting revolver, model ‘Army’, circa 1885 in great ‘original nickel-plated finish’. A splendid addition to the top of anybody’s desk and one that would bring gravitas to the conclusion of every episode of The Apprentice; the “You’re fired!” moment. Maybe if the ivory was very thin that might get you under 10% by volume, but how are you going to measure that without breaking it? It fetched a bottom estimate £1,000.
Thank God for the bit of common sense which dictates that a boxed pair of guns, where there are what looks to be small ivory handles in the box (and/or ivory accoutrements) are judged as a whole –
as long as they were originally made as a set. A fine, boxed, pair of James Purdey 50-bore percussion-rifled target pistols, completed ‘for retail’ in 1832, fetched a bottom estimate £15,000. But, sell them after 6 June and you will have to first register them – if those handles are elephant ivory, that is. Me? I’d replace them with ivorine or metal handles and get rid of the problem for all time.
And problem it will be because another chilling statement in the guidance says, “If you buy an ivory item, you, as well as the seller, are responsible for checking that it can be lawfully sold.” And when you and the auctioneer/antiques dealer risk up to five years of imprisonment, I suggest that it will only be very knowledgeable folk who will have the confidence to declare that X or Y is marine or ‘other’ ivory and is safe to sell.
This is not an issue when you are dealing with the hugely knowledgeable folk at Holts and other specialist auctioneers, but a bit of an ask at your local auction house or antiques market. I for one could no more tell you what is elephant ivory, as against any other type, than sex a trout that I tease out of the Test before quickly slipping it back in.
Or, take an ‘exceptional, probably unfired’ cased Russian 54-bore percussion double-action five-shot revolver, dated 1860, which sold at Bonhams last November, complete with its original blueing and gold inlay, which was presented by Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich to one Harry Philpotts, an erstwhile captain in the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment. Complete with a detachable shoulder stock, it is a fabulous thing. The butt is carved as a lion’s head complete with teeth. Bonhams documents that these are of bone or staghorn and therefore, by inference, safe to sell. But what would a non-expert make of these teeth? Most I reckon would say, “Not worth the risk.” Although that would be a mistake, as the bidding scorched through the top £30,000 estimate and the hammer struck at £60,000.
FURNITURE
Furniture is yet another area that will be affected, as a gander through Cheffins’ 23-24 March ‘Fine Sale’ – full of interesting items as usual – demonstrated. Ivory (whether elephant or otherwise) was occasionally used by the Georgians and Victorians to enhance top-flight furniture, often ‘knob’ handles and inserts around keyholes. So, a 1785 George Hepplewhite (considered to be one of the ‘big three’ 18th-century cabinet makers along with Sheraton and Chippendale) ‘mahogany and crossbanded bonheur du jour’ – that’s a lightweight and elegant ladies writing desk to you and me – with what looks to be ivory key surrounds and drawer handles (the catalogue coyly omits to
It will take but the scratch of a pen to add other ivory to this list
mention if they are elephant ivory) easily beat its modest £1,500 top estimate to sell for a not-expensive-for-what-it-is £1,900. But, and then again, unless it is definitely not elephant ivory, next time it’s sold – ‘dealt’ with – it will first have to be registered and that will be a bore. Worth the hassle for a Regency rosewood tea caddy with what looks to be an ivory key surround? Someone obviously thought so, as they paid a just under top estimate £220. This then will be the world of soonto-be-almost-extinct antique ivory sales as of 6 June.
The slight crumb of comfort for those who buy The Field on subscription and turn to this column first is that you will have just over two weeks to sell your ivory or ship it out of the country – if there are any working ferries, that is. The really bad news? It will take but the scratch of an unconcerned minister’s pen to add marine and other ivory to this prohibited list; goodbye scrimshaw and Lord alone what else. Perhaps it is time to start hunting Gove and his Defra flunkies at the weekend. Not least as there won’t be one elephant saved.