US Ivory Ban Affects BM Exhibit

Heffalump, real men say no to ivory

Six Byzantine ivory reliefs from the British Museum were denied entry to the US by Fish and Wildlife Service (Victoria Stapley-Brown, 'British Museum’s ivory icons denied US entry for loan show' the Art Newspaper 1 July 2015 ). But looted artworks loaned by a museum are not allowed in, and given immunity from seizure by US law. Elephants are cuddlier than cultural heritage.

Anyway, the BM has a programme of making 3D models of things, let them scan their ivory and send a 3D printout, cheaper, safer than sending the originals and the simulacra do not need controlled environments. Americans (as people from the source countries they came from) can see the originals in London. What about the rest of the objects in the show, when and how did those Russian icons surface on the market? How many of them have blood on them?