Thursday, October 13, 2011

"Lucky Elephant" Antique Ivory-Finish Tea Light Holder

When East meets West at Kate Aspen, extraordinary and exotic favors come to pass. Behold the magnificent "Lucky Elephant" Tea Light Holder. Lucky because elephant statues, especially those with raised trunks, are considered a source of luck and good fortune. Lucky gift. Lucky guests! Features and facts: Stately elephant is handsomely detailed and crafted from resin with an antique-ivory finish Standard tea light candle fits in saddle Lipped rug under the howdah (that's elephant for  "saddle") can hold a place card or photo on either side Elephant stands on a ornate, muted jewel-tone, paper Persian rug in the clear, display gift box Gift box includes rich, sheer gold, organza ribbon and bow Color-coordinated, round "For You" tag features delicate design accents and the words Lucky Elephant Tea Light Holder Tea light  included Elephant measures 2 1/4" h x 3 1/4" w x 2 1/4" d Gift box measures 2 1/2" h x 3 1/4" w l x 2 1/4" d

Price:


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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

CASE XX Antique Bone Elephant Toe Pocket Knife Knives

CASE XX Antique Bone Elephant Toe Pocket Knife KnivesBeautiful CASE XX Smooth Antique Bone Elephant Toe

Made in U.S.A.
6446 CA6446 6250 SS
1 of Only 300 Made
Special Factory Order

New and never been used or sharpened, this gorgeous knife, is 4 1/2 inches long (folded/fixed) and comes with a Lifetime Warranty! The Blades are Highly Polished Tru-Sharp Surgical Stainless Steel. The Handles are Smooth Antique Bone with a Nickel Silver Diamond Case Inlay Shield. The Bolsters are Nickel Silver. If you are looking for a great knife to collect, carry or give as a gift, don't pass this one up!

Price:


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Sunday, October 9, 2011

18th Century Gentlemans Pocket Flintlock Pistol - Replica of Classic Colonial / Pirate Gun with Antique Brass Finish and Faux Ivory Grips

18th Century Gentlemans Pocket Flintlock Pistol - Replica of Classic Colonial / Pirate Gun with Antique Brass Finish and Faux Ivory GripsThis piece is a reproduction of the famous Gentleman's Pocket Pistol by Bunney of London, circa 1770-1780. This replica flintlock features an embossed faux ivory grip and a working action. The hammer cocks, and the trigger releases the hammer. The metal has a antique brass finish. The length is approximately 6 inches.

Price:


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Thursday, October 6, 2011

Isle of Lewis Chess Set - Unique Themed Chess Pieces

Isle of Lewis Chess Set - Unique Themed Chess PiecesThis stone-like chess set is a replica of the chess set Harry Potter played on in the movie "Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone". The Isle of Lewis chess set is a faithful reproduction of the earliest known European chess set and is a genuine replica of the world famous Isle of Lewis chess pieces on display in the British Museum. Originally discovered on the Isle of Lewis around 1170, they are of Scandinavian origin. The light colored chess pieces feature an antique ivory finish. This set is ceramic which makes for the look and feel of stone. The King is 3.75 inches in height and a base of 1.75 inches.

The Isle of Lewis set of themed chess pieces allows game play in the distant past, while enjoying the world of this historical and unique chess set.

NOTE: Chess Board is not included. Suggested square size for the board is 2.25 inches.

Price: $159.95


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Monday, October 3, 2011

Chinese Golden Silk Mahjong Mahjongg Game Set

Chinese Golden Silk Mahjong Mahjongg Game SetEverything you need to get started playing the centuries-old game of mahjong is here in this practical and portable set. Ivory color tiles are engraved with crisp, clear Chinese characters. The attractive golden silk embroidered case makes this set a great gift as well! This set contains 144 tiles for the Chinese version of mahjong. The tiles are inscribed with Chinese characters only and no joker tiles or racks are included.

Price: $31.19


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Saturday, November 27, 2010

Would you sell her an ivory set? - Mid Day.com

Ignorant trader lands up at animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi's house to sell a necklace made from Elephant Tusk. Is sent to jail.
Idiot!
What else would you call a man who tried selling banned ivory jewellery to India's most renowned firebrand animal rights activist.Raj Harmohinder, an elephant tusk seller, made an offer that Maneka Gandhi couldn't refuse. The former environment minister got a call on October 22 at 2 pm from Harmohinder, who introduced himself as an ivory trader and asked her whether she was interested in buying a rare ivory necklace.

Harmohinder may get three years imprisonment or fine which may
extend to Rs 25,000, or both
Delhi is the collection point for skin and other animal products that cater
to the huge demands of markets in Tibet and China
In 38 years, the prosecution has failed to secure the maximum sentence
of seven years jail against any offender under the Wildlife Act
Harmohinder, who apparently did not know that Maneka Gandhi is a former environment minister and the most prominent animal rights activist of the country, said though the original cost of the necklace was Rs 20 lakh he could offer it for just Rs 10 lakh.
The deal was fixed and Maneka called him to her 14, Ashoka Road residence at around 4:30 pm the same day.
Foolish Harmohinder did not realise even after reaching her residence that he is walking into a trap.
Maneka told MiD DAY that she was shocked when Harmohinder offered her the ivory jewellery. "He didn't know me and showed me the necklace. A senior police official who was present in mufti explained to him about me," she said.
Harmohinder was immediately detained for interrogation, in which he told the cops that he had bought the necklace from the Kucha Bagh area in Chandni Chowk. A police team was sent at the said address to arrest but police team returned empty handed.
Harmohinder told the cops that he was given Maneka's phone number by a man who lives in Vivek Vihar in east Delhi. "He had approached a man in east Delhi to buy his goods. But that guy gave him Maneka Gandhi's number instead," a senior police official said.
The officer said Harmohinder might just be a pawn and this could be bigger racket. "We are interrogating Harmohinder about his links. We will start conducting raids once we get the full information," he said.
An FIR in this regard was registered at Parliament Street police station under sections 39/49/49B/51 of the Wild Life Protection Act.
250 tigers, 2,000 leopards, 5,000 otters, 20,000 wild cats, 20,000 wild foxes. That's the number of wild animals that law enforcers have been able to count as falling prey to the deadly trade plied by Sansar Chand, 55, dubbed the Veerappan of the North. Chand, who was arrested in July 2005 and is presently serving a jail term.
In India, forests that once covered much of the subcontinent have been reduced to a fraction of their former area. In addition, forest fragmentation means that only half of India's remaining forests are still suitable for elephants.
Elephants need to migrate across a wide area of forest to find food throughout the year. When forests are reduced to small, scattered patches, elephants are forced into villages and croplands, leading to violent conflicts with humans.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, is an international treaty with over 160 member nations. Since 1975, Asian elephants have been listed on Appendix I of CITES, which prohibits all international commercial trade in Asian elephants and Asian elephant ivory.
The estimated 35,000 to 50,000 Asian elephants that remain in the wild are found only in isolated areas of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan; continental Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam; the Malay Peninsula; Sri Lanka; Sumatra; Borneo; and the Andaman Islands off the coast of India in the Bay of Bengal. The African elephant is much more numerous than the Asian elephant, but the species underwent a dramatic decline in the 1970s and 1980s as a result of poaching for the ivory trade. No one knows for sure, but it has been estimated that there were about 1.2 million African elephants in the late 1970s, but probably fewer than 500,000 remain today.
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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Lift the Ivory Trade Ban

Mar 16, 2010 Mark Somerfield
African Elephants: Should the trade ban be lifted? - Public licence
Discussions regarding trade in elephant tusks have tended to dominate CITES (Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species) meetings for many years. Many African Elephant species are listed as endangered by the IUCN and most count as Appendix I banned trade items under CITES.
Yet several African nations have submitted motions to allow restricted trade on their own elephant populations, in some cases on repeat occasions. Ivory is big business, particularly in Asia, where there is a high demand for it for use in traditional family seals, handicrafts and art work. Furthermore, combating elephant poaching is a costly process and many nations argue that the proceeds for managed sales of elephant tusks could be used to help conserve them.
In 1989, African Elephants were listed under CITES as an Appendix 1 endangered species, effectively banning the international trade in ivory. A number of petitions to downgrade the listing by some African nations were rejected in subsequent years, until 1997 when Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe were allowed to sell raw ivory stocks to Japan in a one off sale. Petitions to allow further trade in 2000 were rejected.
In 2002 Namibia, Botswana and South Africa were allowed to trade a further 60 tons, and in 2008 a further seven tonnes were sold, fetching around £700,000 from bidders in Japan and China. A subsequent 10-year moratorium was imposed on further proposals for ivory trade - yet in 2010, ivory trade discussions are back on the table. This time, it is Tanzania and Zambia who are the main protagonists.
Before the 1950s it is estimated that there were around 5 million elephants in the wild. But the increasing globalization of trade coupled with ready markets in Asia meant that the ivory trade boomed in the subsequent decades. In the 1980s it is estimated that 100,000 elephants were being killed a year, decimating herds by upward of 80% in some regions – Kenya suffered the worst, losing 85% of its population between 1979 and 1983.
Yet in other countries, such as Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa, populations were either sustained or even increased. This geographical disparity that has caused disagreement over the best way of handling the ivory trade.
Those who argue for regulation believe that money made from the sale of ivory could be invested in stopping poaching. Poaching in many regions is on the increase. In 2007, 45 elephants were killed by poachers in Kenya, but in 2009 that figures was 271. For poachers the high value of ivory as a commodity and the ready markets in Asia make poaching worth the risk.
But others believe that the rise in poaching has come about as a direct result of the ivory sales in 2008 and that legalising the trade in ivory would simply lead to market growth. Moses Litoroh, one of the co-ordinators of Kenya's elephant programme, has described that market as 'insatiable' and believes that the evidence shows that supply of ivory creates further demand.
The IUCN, the parent organisation of CITES, has a commitment to maintaining an a dialogue with human development agencies and a careful approach is needed to balance economic, social and environmental concerns.
While the CITES delegates all realise that the welfare of such species is paramount, disagreement will continue over the best management solutions to ensure that welfare. There are case studies that demonstrate both successes and failures of both blanket bans and management schemes and recommendations based on science are often filled with caveats, due to the difficulty of implementing rigorous methodologies in such complex environments.
Whatever the outcome of the latest petitions, the trade in ivory is a complex issue that is unlikely to disappear in the near future.
References
Telegraph "Elephant Tusks Sold Legally For First Time In A Decade", 28 Oct 2008.
Elephant Voices, "CITES and the Ivory Trade" (January 2010)
CITES (March 16 2010)
Copyright Mark Somerfield. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
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