Ivory-Containing Items for Sale

[Ian]

Fellow Forumites:

I have an ivory dilemma.

Over the years I have collected a number of Asian and SE Asian knives and swords with ivory hilts. CITES regulations have made these increasingly difficult to sell and purchase legally. I am now in the process of moving from the U.S.A. to Australia, and the only way that I could move an ivory-containing piece is to obtain an export license from the U.S. Government and an import license from the Australian Government. This requires specific certificates, one for each item, attesting that the item meets the “antique” criteria (i.e., is more than 100 years old) and is exempt from CITES requirements. Such a certificate is also required if I wish to sell an item with ivory in the U.S., with the exception that I can sell ivory-containing items within my state of residence without such a certificate. The problem becomes obtaining the necessary certificates—these can be provided only by registered valuators who have been trained in assessing the age of ivory. A single certificate can cost several hundred dollars. Since I have a large number of items, many of which I bought for less than $200, the cost of these certificates is prohibitively expensive.

I presently have 17 small dha from mainland SE Asia that have ivory hilts and another six larger knives and swords from India, Indonesia, Philippines and mainland SE Asia. I am willing to sell these for the cost at which I purchased them—roughly half of their current market value.

I am willing to sell these, BUT the sale must occur within the State of Minnesota. I will not ship any of these items outside the State of Minnesota. If you live outside Minnesota, you would have to purchase them directly from me here, and then obtain a permit to move them from the State. If you cross State lines without such a permit, you will be in violation of the U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Service’s rules and subject to prosecution, with fines and confiscation/destruction of the ivory-containing item.

This is what things have come to in the U.S.

Below is an inventory of the items I have, with a price list that includes my purchase price and the current insured value. Pictures of the relevant items are attached also.

This offer is open to members of this Forum and the general public. Please respond to my personal email: igreaves at temple dot edu. Items can be picked up directly from me or my representative in Stillwater, Minnesota or I can send them via registered mail to a Minnesota address. I cannot consider any offer that involves sending an item outside the State of Minnesota.

Please refer to an item by its catalog number. The price for each item is my purchase price plus any shipping/insurance costs. I accept Paypal, personal checks (check must clear first), and cash.

A copy of the catalog with pictures (in two parts) is also attached at the end of this post in PDF format.

Ian.


KNIVES AND SWORDS WITH IVORY HILTS


A. Short Dha knives from Mainland SE Asia (17 items)


MSEA 1003
Large 19th C Shan knife with elephant ivory hilt
Cost to purchase (declared value) $211.50
Insured value $500.00

MSEA 1005
19th C cut down Burmese dha with elephant ivory hilt, silver ferrule and old koftgari on blade
Cost to purchase (declared value) $65.00
Insured value $250.00

MSEA 1022
19th C Shan/Thai knife with elephant ivory hilt in a silver decorated wooden scabbard.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $166.00
Insured value $500.00

MSEA 1030
Early-mid 19th C Burmese court knife made entirely from elephant ivory with silver ferrule on hilt. Part of the carved hilt is missing.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $110.00
Insured value $200.00

MSEA 1031
19th C Shan/Thai knife with elephant ivory hilt in silver clad wooden sheath.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $295.00
Insured value $500.00

MSEA 1044
19th C Shan/Thai knife with elephant ivory hilt and plain wooden sheath.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $85.50
Insured value $220.00

MSEA 1051
Small 19th C Burmese knife with elephant ivory hilt and silver ferrule.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $112.78
Insured value $200.00

MSEA 1066
Small 19th C Burmese knife with ivory and silver hilt in silver-clad wooden sheath.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $132.00
Insured value $280.00

MSEA 1100
Elegant 19th C Thai/Shan knife with elephant ivory hilt, silver ferrule and silver-clad wooden sheath.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $98.50
Insured value $500.00

MSEA 1112
19th C Shan knife with elephant ivory hilt, silver ferrule and silver-clad wooden sheath.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $63.35
Insured value $300.00

MSEA 1228
Slim 19th C Thai/Shan knife with elephant ivory hilt, silver ferrule and silver-clad wooden sheath.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $87.50
Insured value $250.00

MSEA 1229
Slim early 19th C Thai/Shan knife with aged elephant ivory hilt, silver ferrule and silver-clad wooden sheath.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $85.00
Insured value $260.00

MSEA 1230
19th C Shan knife with elephant ivory hilt, silver ferrule and silver-clad wooden sheath.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $250.00
Insured value $400.00

MSEA 1232
Small 19th C Shan knife with elephant ivory hilt, Silver ferrule and silver-clad wooden sheath.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $135.00
Insured value $350.00

MSEA 1233
19th C Thai/Lao knife with elephant ivory hilt, silver ferrule and silver-clad wooden sheath.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $96.00
Insured value $325.00

MSEA 1235
Very small Thai priest knife with elephant ivory hilt, small silver ferrule and laminated steel blade in bone sheath with silver mounts. Comes with red cloth drawstring pouch.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $55.00
Insured value $125.00


B. Other Knives and Swords


IND 1038
Early 19th C Indo-Persian karud or choora with elephant or walrus (?) ivory hilt scales in a brass mounted wooden scabbard.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $185.00
Insured value $375.00

INDO 1098
19th C siwar from Aceh with elephant ivory hilt in a translucent scabbard made from albino water buffalo horn.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $128.00
Insured value $250.00

MOR 1117
Late 19th C Tausug kris w/silver wrapped hilt and ivory (? Dugong) pommel in 1960s scabbard decorated with MOP and buffalo horn. [Pommel might be elephant ivory as there is some suggestion of Schreger lines on the cross-sectional surface.]
Cost to purchase (declared value) $560.00
Insured value $1,250.00

MSEA 1105
Massive 19th C Burmese dha with elephant tusk hilt and silver mounts. Old koftgari work along the spine of the blade and at forte. Sometimes called an “elephant dha”.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $478.89
Insured value $1,200.00

MSEA 1236
19th C Thai/Lao daab having a handle of elephant ivory, a pommel of bone (cap detached), and silver ferrule, accompanied by a wooden scabbard with silver mounts.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $223.50
Insured value $350.00

MSEA 1238
Late 20th C large Lao daab having an elephant tusk hilt and heavy silver mounts to both hilt and scabbard.
Cost to purchase (declared value) $365.89
Insured value $750.00