He rightly bemoans the fact that museum specialists – rather than trade experts – will be making key decisions, in respect of ivory objects shown to them for certification, or rejection.
As a collector, I would go even further, and respectfully suggest that the clear idiocy of the forthcoming ivory bill is demonstrated by the fact that long-standing, specialist collectors, such as myself, with decades of experience, are also being ignored, and forced to present their own ivory possessions for approval, or otherwise, to those with possibly no more – or even less – knowledge and experience.
How does banning the trade in antique objects with over 10% ivory, which are not sufficiently rare and important artistically or culturally, save thousands of elephants? How does it save even one elephant?
Are we now all going to stand by, while we suffer what is no more than just a pointless, destructive, lazy, political exercise?
Gavin Littaur
London NW4
