Ivory tells the history of the world – it must never be banned

Ivory tells the history of the world – it must never be banned, says Jonathan Jones:

Under new rules being seriously considered by the government, if a work of this age and quality came on to the market, no British museum or private collector would be allowed to buy it. [...] Under new rules, it is illegal in Britain to trade in ivory objects made since 1947, a totally proper and necessary measure against the modern ivory trade and its incitement of ivory poaching. Yet campaigners including the World Wildlife Fund, Tusk and the Duke of Cambridge insist that doesn’t go far enough. Illegal ivory traders can forge pre-1947 antiques, they claim, in calling for a total ban on all trade in ivory objects. Unbelievably, the government is taking seriously the idea of banning trade in all ivory antiques, however old. There is no rational argument for criminalising some of the greatest art in history just because it does not satisfy 21st-century moral qualms.  [...]. If we stop ourselves looking at such premodern ivory we will be philistines and bigots, congratulating ourselves on a victory over art. The next step is cultural destruction. We should leave this deadly line of thinking to Islamic State.