An Art Conservation Perspective: Saving the African Elephant and Ivory Cultural Heritage

Abstract

AbstractA surge in African elephant poaching to supply global demand for ivory led the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to revise policies and regulations protecting African elephants. In 2014, commercial import of antique ivory was banned in compliance with the 1989 African Elephant Conservation Act, and non‐commercial import was restricted. In 2016, the USFWS revised other regulations regarding interstate commerce, export, and foreign commerce. For museums, confusion and uncertainty over interpretation of the regulations led to re‐examination of acquisitions and loan policies. In 2015, the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) appointed a working group to evaluate the impact on conservators working with ivory and to make recommendations for changes to reflect preservation concerns before the proposed regulations were to go into effect in 2016. This article discusses the conservator's role working with ivory artifacts, reviews preservation issues for museums raised by the regulations, and shares the AIC working group's recommendations for preserving ivory artifacts and the African elephant.