ATG No 2567.
The miniature is well over 100 years old.
How is this possible as, on top of commission and other charges, it makes it an expensive transaction to undertake?
Philip Kedward (retired auctioneer)
ATG replies: this is almost certainly because of the new rules on trading in antique ivory, as covered extensively in ATG – and in our recent special report on portrait miniatures (ATG No 2567). Ivory miniatures bought and sold in the UK now need to be registered.
Under the Ivory Act, pre-1918 portrait miniatures with a surface area of less than 320cm² need a certificate applied for from Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). The fee is £20 per item (or £50 for a group of objects up to a maximum of 20).
