Ivory candlesticks or bone ?

[gerspee]

Think that I wil wait untill I know more about the origine .  If it would be a dieppe made item the value would be a lot better I think . will let you know if the France museum will give me answer on my questions about them .

[ghopper1924]

Please do!

[mart]

Yes !! Please come back and tell us what they say !!

[antiquesnsuch]

Just so everyone knows here since the ivory came up, it is NOT illegal to own Ivory. It is however illegal to sell it, a lot of auction houses here on the east coast have been getting items seized from them. Just don't want to see anyone get in trouble

[talesofthesevenseas]

It is actually not illegal to sell antique ivory. However the laws vary from state to state and it makes a difference if it is raw or worked. Here's an article that outlines some of this:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/fts/chattanooga_200804A10.html

A lot of places do not allow the sale of ivory because you have to verify the age in order to verify that it was collected at a time when it was legal.

[talesofthesevenseas]

I just read back through this thread after being gone a few days. Were you ever able to identify a double criss-crossing grain? There's no need to try more harmful tests if you can see that double grain. Ivory is also cool to the touch almost like a stone.

[mart]

I could not find any Tales,, only straight grain !!

[talesofthesevenseas]

I'm not seeing it in the photos either, but that is great that a hands-on assessment is being done.

[ghopper1924]

So, without reading all the way back through this thread, double grain direction= ivory?

[mart]

Yes it has a cris cross growth pattern !!

[KC]

Totally agree with Talesof.  It isn't illegal to own or sell ivory AS LONG AS YOU CAN PROVE THE AGE OF THE ITEM!!!!

I have some ivory pieces that I purchase from a museum going under in Russia....wouldn't sell them...but other than my word have no way of aging them if I did want to sell them. However, time is also a benefit...theh look gorgeous but refined in age.