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MAMMOTH
IVORY
There
is no restriction on importing or exporting mammoth ivory because the
woolly mammoth has been extinct for over 10,000 years.
It is very difficult to distinguish mammoth ivory from elephant
ivory.
Mammoth
ivory has gorgeous grain just like elephant ivory.
The only real difference is the age of the ivory (which cannot be
determine by looking at it) and the angle of intersection of the grain
lines (you really have to know your stuff to differentiate between the
two). So mammoth ivory
offers you the beauty of elephant ivory combined with free trade
combined with limited supply. It is far and away the most popular type
of netsuke that is currently bought and sold.
Here
are some of the advantages of mammoth ivory:
- Limited Supply - there is
less than a 7 year supply remaining at current rates of consumption
- Increased Demand - more
and more people are collecting mammoth ivory netsukes and okimonos
- Shortage of Artisans - as
skilled craftsmen have declined year after year in this country, so
too will this scenario unfold in all other countries
- Global Economy - no
longer is trading limited by geographic boundaries - thanks largely
to the internet
- Competitive Advantages -
why purchase Hummels, Lladro, Doulton and other mass produced
collectibles when you can purchase something that is individually
hand carved and hand scrimshawed and in every case unique
- Free Trade - mammoth
ivory is not subject to the import/export restriction of other types
of ivory since the Wooly Mammoth has been extinct for over 10,000
years.
Mammoth Tusk Ivory is an International Free Trade merchandise Unlike
African and modern elephant ivory, mammoths have been extinct for
10,000 years. It is not listed in the Appendices to the CITES. As
such, it is not subject to control under the Animals and Plants
(Protection of Endangered Species) Ordinance, Cap. 187. All mammoth
ivory tusk itself is already a precious antique. Because of the
geographical range in Alaska and Siberia , Mammuthus primigenus
tusks have been well preserved. Therefore, Mammuthus primigenus is
the only extinct proboscidan which consistently provides high
quality, valuable and precious carvable ivory.
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