Gallery

A digital archive showcasing the extensive collection of jewellery and adornment images shared on the former Ethnic Jewels Ning site over the years. These images have significantly enriched discussions on cultural adornment and its global dispersion.

group of antique ivory rings.

Posted by Linda Pastorino on June 26, 2014 at 2:24am

With todays ban on ivory in NY state , I'm showing these as this ban will now render useless all the arts that are antique that have ever been made. Total ivory ban..even on arts made 500 or 1000 years ago. Yes elephants need to be saved yet by clamping down on sales of new ivory and poaching would seem to me to be more usefull . Now the new legislature makes all antique ivory illegal to sell, even pieces purchased before the ban or inherited and illegal to donate to museums also rendering thousands of pieces valuless.

Comments

ingrid Langerak June 26, 2014 at 12:29pm

Hi Linda,I believe these to be Ethiopian Ivory rings from Sidamo? Some of them are shaped just like the brass rings. Sidamo is also the province were most of the beautifully shaped bracelets come from, I used to have a beautiful collection, most of them deep deep brown in different shapes and a beautiful warm shine. Now I have only the one of 4 layers kept together with a leather strap. Gr. Ingrid
Linda Pastorino June 26, 2014 at 3:06pm

the ones in the front are, but i think some of the ones stacked and long shaped ones are Dinka. At least when they were coming out with the bracelets they were sold as such in Brussels and Paris.
ingrid Langerak June 26, 2014 at 3:30pm

Yes, Linda you are right, my mistake, not Sidamo but Cambella, the Dinka's , Nuer and Anuak's do cross borders Ethiopia/Sudan. And these are the people wearing this types of decor. The bracelets did come very much into Addis Ababa for trade, not so much the rings or ear-rings.
Ethnic Embellishments June 26, 2014 at 5:41pm

Linda, NPR also did a wonderful story about musicians who have antique instruments that incorporate ivory and their woes when traveling internationally for performances. I wonder if this will also inhibit the classical music industry....
Linda Pastorino June 26, 2014 at 8:03pm

pre 1975 musical instruments are exempt and so are people allowed trophies from elephant safaris coming back from Africa ! Who is screwed in this, are all the collectors and dealers in antique ivory, such as Japanese pieces, European plaques of all ages, and much of all the ethnographic arts that use ivory in India and Africa. Collections that are going to be worthless if this is signed into law. Only in trust can one pass the items, and no sale, NJ is next to sign as well.
Ethnic Embellishments June 26, 2014 at 8:44pm

Trophies, that's really wrong. I hope that NY is not burning confiscated old pieces like California is.... or so I have heard.
Linda Pastorino June 26, 2014 at 10:45pm

yes to preserve all those people who pay a fortune to bag an elephant. The thing that is suppose to be stopped is being allowed for money.. the big game hunters have won, so have musicians, (bigger lobbies were sent) Word in NJ is worst , in that it's not allowing even 20% of the ivory to be allowed ie things inlaid with ivory, so all the inlaid furniture and other stuff becomes obsolete too. No laws have been signed but seems like it's going to happen it is a Salem witch hunt. So i guess now is the time to buy something , after this will be hard.