Local Auction House In Court Over 'Ivory Ban'

Elephant artefact was sold by Chiswick Auctions

Chiswick Auctions is being taken to court on following the sale of an elephant artefact which it is claimed was in contravention with laws on the sale of ivory.

The charge, which could set a precedent for similar cases, is with the sale of a modern elephant ivory carving under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) (CITES) Regulations 1997 .

It carries a potential fine of £5,000 or even six months imprisonment and will be heard at Ealing Magistrates Court tomorrow (Monday, Oct 12th).

Under the regulations, 'modern' or post-1947 ivory is not allowed to be sold. The item, which was sold in July 2012 as "an antique carved ivory tusk worked as a train of elephants" had been estimated by a senior valuer as having been worked prior to June 1947, as demanded by the law. It was bought for around £100 by a stallholder at Portobello Market.

However during a sweep of the market by special constables from the Wildlife Crime Unit and the Arts and Antiques unit, the carving was confiscated and sent for scientific analysis. This showed that the ivory was from an elephant that had died in the 1960s. The matter was then passed onto the police and in August 2014, the Wildlife Crime Unit announced that they intended to prosecute the case.

William Rouse, managing director of the Chiswick Auction house said it was an isolated mistake and said that every auction room in the country had to tread a difficult line where ivory was concerned. He said he felt the auction room was being made a 'scapegoat".

An operation to track down modern ivory or other items from endangered species has been in operation for the past two years, with several raids carried out in Portobello Market.

At present the burden is on the seller to prove that the ivory is old.

According to the Antiques Trade Gazette, wildlife campaigners have long singled out the weekly market at Portobello in their campaign to curb the illegal trade in modern elephant ivory.

"In the much-publicised Elephants On The High Street report of 2004, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) were highly critical of the ignorance of traders at some of the UK's best-known antiques markets," it stated.

October 10, 2014