A Cautionary Tale if Your Pipes Have Ivory

[unixken]

The pipes have been returned, after a hefty fine was paid, of course.

So what's to stop the same thing from happening again, I wonder? Upon paying the fines, were they given documentation that exempts the pipes from future seizures? Or are they still at risk of repeat, every time they travel?

[OC Richard]

I just now changed the wording on my post above a bit, after reading the actual US Government (Fish and Wildlife) site

http://www.fws.gov/international/tra...d-answers.html

It's confusing (what Government things aren't?) because on the face of it the only requirement seems to be that you have to prove that the ivory was "legally acquired and removed from the wild" prior to 1976 (which is a given, with vintage pipes, at least the "removed from the wild" part) AND that you possessed the pipes prior to February 2014.

The part below seems fair

February 26, 1976, is the date the African elephant was first listed under CITES (the pre-Convention date). An item that contains African elephant ivory that was removed from the wild prior to February 26, 1976, is considered to be a pre-Convention specimen. This does not mean that the current owner must have purchased or acquired it prior to 1976, but that the item was manufactured from ivory that was taken from the wild prior to 1976. For example, a musical instrument that was manufactured in 1965 using African elephant ivory would be considered a pre-Convention specimen. Likewise, an instrument manufactured in 1985 using ivory acquired by the manufacturer in 1975 would also be considered a pre-Convention specimen. Since it is unlawful to possess specimens that have been traded contrary to CITES or taken in violation of the ESA, the ivory must have been legally acquired.

But there's the strange "antiques" clause. Many pipers have pipes which are over 100 years old. Seems that your 100 year old pipes have to be proven to have come into the country prior to 1982

We intend to incorporate the Endangered Species Act’s exemptions for commercial trade of 100-year-old antiques into regulations that re-affirm the criteria that must be met for an item to qualify as an antique.


UPDATE as of 5/15/14: The first step in this action was completed on February 25, 2014, with the issuance of Director’s Order 210.
On May 15, 2014, we revised Director’s Order 210 to allow the sale of certain 100-year-old items that were either created in the United States or imported prior to September 22, 1982—the date that antique ports were designated. Prior to this decision to allow enforcement discretion, items imported before September 22, 1982, would not be able to be sold. This is a common sense revision to allow for the sale of items that are 100 years old or older but could not have been imported through a designated antique port.

[Ron Abbott]

I recall the US ban on sealskin. The sporran makers started making some really tacky and tatty looking rabbit-skin sporrans for the US market. They didn't look half as nice as the sealskin ones.

I suppose if any ivory pipes also have sterling silver mounts that are hallmarked, that could perhaps be persuasive when it comes to the age of the instrument, although when I worked for two bagpipe makers back in the 80s, I saw a fair few sets of vintage pipes that were mounted in sterling silver but which had no hallmarks.

One of my own sets of bagpipes is mounted in Britannia silver (purer than sterling) and were made in the 1890s and yet not one of the mounts is hallmarked.

[Theyoungkiltman]

OC richard, if you look at the bottom of the f.w.s. webpage it says that the new law did not affect personal possession.

[Theyoungkiltman]

Just out of curiosity ron, how do you know it is Brittania silver if it is not hallmarked? Anyroad it is not just because they want to make sure it is pre-ban but just take all legal and illegal ivory.

[Ron Abbott]

Just out of curiosity ron, how do you know it is Brittania silver if it is not hallmarked? Anyroad it is not just because they want to make sure it is pre-ban but just take all legal and illegal ivory.

Some of the mounts were tested A very well known Edinburgh jewellers of George Street.
The pipes themselves are Hendersons.

But now you've got me thinking....how do they actually test silver to ascertain purity??

Silver sold in Scotland without hallmarks is certainly not unusual. I've seen a number of sets of silver mounted pipes from the late 1800s/early 1900s without hallmarks before and also seen some other items such as cups/trophies without hallmarks being sold as sterling in highly reputable auctions/quality silverware shops and I've also seen some beautiful Victorian sgian dubhs without hallmarks.

I actually have two other sets of pipes, one also silver (this time hallmarked sterling - with own design for the hand engraving) and ivory but the last set is only imitation ivory and I deliberately bought them for travel purposes about 20 years ago.

[Theyoungkiltman]

Thanks for enlightening me ron