Facing pressure from environmentalists, Bonham calls off HK auction of rhino horn carvings

One of the rhino horn carvings that was set to go under the hammer next week. Many of the lots were “libation cups” —  communal drinking vessels that were used on important ceremonial occasions in the 17th and 18th centuries. Picture: WildAid.
One of the rhino horn carvings that was set to go under the hammer next week. Many of the lots were “libation cups” — communal drinking vessels that were used on important ceremonial occasions in the 17th and 18th centuries. Picture: WildAid.

A coalition of environmental groups are celebrating a victory today after Bonhams scrapped the sale of rhino horn carvings that were set to go under the hammer in Hong Kong next week.

The auction house had come under pressure from activists after announcing the sale, with accusations it would fuel the demand, pushing the endangered creatures closer to extinction.

In a joint letter sent to Bonham’s Chief Executive Office Matthew Grilling this week, 37 groups slammed the auction house for auctioning the 21 antiques lots, part of a collection called  “Exceptional Chinese Rhinoceros Horn Carvings from the Angela Chua Collection, calling the sale, scheduled for November 27, “unthinkable.”

Their message was received.

In a statement posted on Instagram today, Grilling said that while the lots offered auction house were all antique with a known provenance and the necessary carried CITES paperwork, they would not be sold.

“Bonhams stands behind the professionalism and expertise of its specialists. We do, however, recognize there are widely held concerns about this issue,” Grilling posted in announcing the auction would not go ahead.

“In future Bonhams will not offer artefacts made entirely or partly from rhinoceros horn in its salerooms.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqfYH30FNv1/

Bonhams now joins fellow auction house Christie’s in banning the rhino horn products. 

Alex Hofford, an activist with WildAid, one of the groups which led the campaign, said attention would now turn to another major auction house, Sotherby’s, to make the same commitment.

“We congratulate Bonhams for taking this important step,” said Hofford.

“We now call on Sotheby’s to join Christie’s and Bonhams as likeminded and ethical auction houses by canceling its 29 November 2018 rhino horn sale in Hong Kong, as well as all future sales of endangered species, including rhino horn.”

Used in traditional Chinese medicine, rhino horn products are increasingly common as a status symbol to display success and wealth.

According to Save The Rhino, more than 7,245 African rhinos have been lost to poaching in the past decade.



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