Pair of ivory carvings ‘Phoenix on branch’, early 20th century

Pair of elegant carved ivory birds made during the first third of the 20th century. Two large phoenixes with serene expressions, almond-shaped eyes, cocked heads and wings folded back over their bodies are shown on a large base decorated with beautiful flowering peonies, entangled branches and craggy rocks. They hold branches of ruyis in their beaks. 

Sizes: 25.9 x 6.7 x 8.2 cm; 26 x 7.2 x 8.3 cm

Weight: 579 g

It is very important that our Users know that all the ivories, both carved and uncarved, that we put in our auction have been thoroughly checked and studied by our experts, requesting all the necessary information to determine that these pieces have not been obtained illegally and that they fulfil all the necessary requirements of the Cites and Soivre animal protection legislation. In the case of antiques, processed specimens acquired before the entry into force of the Regulation, i.e. before 1 June 1947, would be exempted from the prohibition indicated in the previous paragraphs. The competent authorities indicate that a CITES certificate is not required in this case. All our lots of antique ivories are accompanied by a Certificate of Guarantee of Origin prior to 1947.   There are a number of exceptions to this prohibition, provided that it can be reliably demonstrated that the specimens were acquired or introduced into Spain before 1 January 1986.

At present, in Spain, it is not possible to sell ivory pieces without CITES documentation, except as indicated above.