Letters to the Editor

MADAM – As a museum service curator of 40 years’ standing, with a special interest in British and Chinese decorative arts from 1500 to 1760, now retired but continuing my scholarly research as before, I have been following the debate on the ivory ban in the Antiques Trade Gazette, of which I am a long-term subscriber.

MADAM – I write regarding your front page story about provincial auctioneers and the rising cost of payment by credit card (ATG No 2343). I feel so sorry for these hard-up companies as they now only average 40-50% commission from each lot sold!

MADAM – I note the report on the sale of a porcelain plaque decorated with a portrait of the Empress Josephine on page 13 of ATG No 2343.

MADAM – I have a deep concern that our political masters do not properly understand what they are proposing to unleash with their submission to well-meaning but ill-informed pressure groups over the ‘total’ ban on the sale of ivory in this country.

MADAM – Thank you for publishing our letter (ATG No 2341), in which we outlined why the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association intended to seek legal advice on the government’s proposed ivory ban.

MADAM – The government’s desire to enact a ban on the UK trade in ivory, including antique ivory, means that they can publicly demonstrate they have stood up to the ivory lobby and ‘bravely’ taken action in the cause of saving the elephant while, at the same time, avoiding the action that they should have taken.

MADAM – Your auction report (ATG No 2342) on the sale of medals awarded to George ‘Bomber’ Brown contained an error in stating that the First Division Championship in 1926-27 was won by his club, Huddersfield Town.

MADAM – We have been following the ivory debate in your pages with anxious concern, in spite of being specialists in vernacular, naive and folk art, whose business would rarely be directly impacted by the near-total ivory ban planned by the government.

MADAM – Sir William McAlpine (Obituary, ATG No 2340) often engaged the services of my father, John Pryke, a specialist structural and contracting engineer, and was very supportive to him when our family business went the unfortunate way of so many (as opposed to McAlpine’s).

MADAM – May I please offer three cheers to your correspondent, Edric van Vredenburgh, who has put his finger firmly on a fundamental flaw in our government’s proposed new legislation on ivory (ATG No 2337).

MADAM – John Lewis’ letter (ATG No 2341) in which the chairman of the Public Monuments & Sculpture Association reveals he is seeking counsel’s opinion, in respect of a legal challenge to the proposed ivory trade ban, raises three key questions:

MADAM – Michael Baggott’s recent letter about the potential adverse impact of the ivory sales ban on the display of ivory pieces by museums is, with respect, misguided.

MADAM – The Public Monuments & Sculpture Association shares many of the concerns which have been expressed in your letters pages since the last statements from Defra on the ivory issue.

MADAM – I have been dealing in Oriental antiques for almost 50 years and have been a supporter of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) for most of this time.

MADAM – I am sending you a photo of some small sewing tools in carved ivory, made c.1840.

MADAM – We are all devastated at what is being proposed by the government in relation to ivory.

MADAM – Thank you for printing my previous correspondence (ATG No 2337). If I thought that a ban on pre-1947 ivory would stop the death of 50 elephants I would stop writing.

MADAM – My collection of Troika ceramics includes some rare pieces, notably two bowls of fruit.

MADAM – The government’s ill-conceived attack on antique ivory will likely mean that two pieces in my home – a 19th century Cantonese puzzle-ball chess set and my wife’s Corpus Christi acquired shortly after our marriage 50 years ago – now have no value in probate.

MADAM – Last year readers may recall a Victorian presentation ‘ivory tusk’ dinner gong was removed from display in one of the Royal Collection exhibitions.