Elephant Ivory Tusks Antique Museum Quality Start Price USD 125,000.00 Current Price USD 125,000.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price USD 137,500.00 Reserve Price - Start Time Sunday, November 30, 2008 End Time Sunday, December 07, 2008 Location Smyrna, GA See more about 'Elephant Ivory Tusks Antique Museum Quality' Description These have been in my family since 1953,  As a ten year old I went with my father to an antiques store in Manhatten to purchase them.  I have been told, and I believe, that tusks this size have not come out of Africa since the mid-nineteenth century.  The patina itself took a very long time to acquire, well over 100 years in my opinion. They are museum quality and absolutely fantastic in every way.  I have only seen one other pair of this size at auction:   Great Gatsby’s in Atlanta sold an almost identical pair in perhaps 1991.  They were part of the (or a) Westinghouse estate and bought $125,000 plus 10%.  At the time I thought that was too high but now it is very reasonable if not a bargain.  You will probably never have a chance to buy anything remotely comparable again.  I only decided to put them up for sale because ebay is banning their sale next month. Besides being of great beauty they are about the best inflation hedge one can imagine, far better than gold or silver which can only be used as a doorstop. Go to a natural history museum and, if available, compare for yourself; better yet, buy them to donate to a museum.  The photos do not begin to do them justice.  They appear much more massive up close, for instance, the base of the tusks each measure about 18 inches around. My wife posed between them to give you an idea of their size. I normally place them to flank the entry to the dining room.  The wrought ironwork holding them is excellent, very well balanced and attractive.  The black stands on which they sit are very special:  Japanese and hand carved on all four sides (although the unseen tops are damaged). They are extremely well matched, better matched than the photos indicate; one is about 81" around the outside diameter, the other about 82".  I once weighed them out of their mounts on a bathroom scale at 78 and 80 pounds each which is probably pretty close but their weight is really unimportant.  The backs are as attractive as the fronts. I will sell them as is.  Feel free to email me at dcdovers@gmail.com if you have questions.  I am open to letting your agent inspect them.  I elected local pick-up only because I am sure you will want to arrange your own shipping and insurance.  I believe there is still an Atlanta moving company which "blanket wraps" antiques which would be perfect.  Regardless, I will assist in all possible ways and if you want me to deliver them to UPS for wrapping and shipping I'll be happy to at cost.  On Dec-05-08 at 06:32:35 PST, seller added the following information:CORRECTION TO THE LETTER BELOW: What was I thinking. My apologies! The tusks are 43cm and 44cm around the base (not mm) and, more importantly, are 1.71m and 175m point to point respectively (67 1/2" and 69"). I should know better than answer a letter late at night. You can telephone me at 770-433-9792. These have been in my family since 1953, As a ten year old I went with my father to an antiques store in Manhatten to purchase them. I have been told, and I believe, that tusks this size have not come out of Africa since the mid-nineteenth century. The patina itself took a very long time to acquire, well over 100 years in my opinion. They are museum quality and absolutely fantastic in every way. I have only seen one other pair of this size at auction: Great Gatsby’s in Atlanta sold an almost identical pair in perhaps 1991. They were part of the (or a) Westinghouse estate and bought $125,000 plus 10%. At the time I thought that was too high but now it is very reasonable if not a bargain. You will probably never have a chance to buy anything remotely comparable again. I only decided to put them up for sale because ebay is banning their sale next month. Besides being of great beauty they are about the best inflation hedge one can imagine, far better than gold or silver which can only be used as a doorstop. Go to a natural history museum and, if available, compare for yourself; better yet, buy them to donate to a museum. The photos do not begin to do them justice. They appear much more massive up close, for instance, the base of the tusks each measure about 18 inches around. My wife posed between them to give you an idea of their size. I normally place them to flank the entry to the dining room. The wrought ironwork holding them is excellent, very well balanced and attractive. The black stands on which they sit are very special: Japanese and hand carved on all four sides (although the unseen tops are damaged). They are extremely well matched, better matched than the photos indicate; one is about 81" around the outside diameter, the other about 82". I once weighed them out of their mounts on a bathroom scale at 78 and 80 pounds each which is probably pretty close but their weight is really unimportant. The backs are as attractive as the fronts. I will sell them as is. Feel free to email me at dcdovers@gmail.com if you have questions. I am open to letting your agent inspect them. I elected local pick-up only because I am sure you will want to arrange your own shipping and insurance. I believe there is still an Atlanta moving company which "blanket wraps" antiques which would be perfect. Regardless, I will assist in all possible ways and if you want me to deliver them to UPS for wrapping and shipping I'll be happy to at cost. Place a Bid!