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I have a modest collection of ivory netsukes which I doubt would fit that category, and so no doubt do thousands of others. Are these now to become worthless?

The non-involved public naturally, naively and overwhelmingly believe that stopping ivory trading will stop elephants being killed. Of course, it won’t, but these are the voices politicians listen to, being politicians.

Dare I suggest BAMF is more concerned with art? The clue’s in the name. Did they fight as hard as they could? A predictable disaster.

Ian Harris

N Bloom & Son, London

What happens to the 200-year-old piece that is not of museum quality?

A taxing issue

MADAM – I do not know where BAMF and others get their ideas.

There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of pieces of pre-1947 ivory that have value but are not ‘museum quality’.


There are many thousands of netsuke or small ivory boxes that fit that category. Are they to be destroyed?

Anyway, what is and what isn’t museum quality is a matter of conjecture.

It seems to me a tax system would be a solution. A tax of 5 or 10% on antique ivory sales (with a certificate) will produce an income that can be used to protect endangered species.

There are already NGO organisations that do their best to protect elephants: they should be given the money, not African governments.

Anything else is going to cause iconoclasm in one form or another.

Edric van Vredenburgh

Who does BAMF speak for?

MADAM – I read with considerable concern in ATG of the approach taken by BAMF to DEFRA’s proposed ‘complete’ ivory ban.

They may have given the government the impression that they speak for a large constituency when, in fact, they represent only a limited number of players.

There are estimated to be millions of people who have quite properly acquired sculpted ivory over the years.

This is not to mention the many who, having no financial interest in the debate, are concerned to protect culture, history and art where sculpted ivory has played such a prominent role in the world.

John Lewis

Chairman, Public Monuments and Sculpture Association


View the PMSA’s submission to Defra here