Banned Materials

In August, Gibson Guitar Company was fined for illegally importing exotic wood. These were ebony from Madagascar and India, as well as rosewood from India reported to be worth $262,000 and confiscated by the government along with several guitars. A $300,000 fine was imposed. This is the same company that offered me a commission to produce marquetry for a line of banjos they were producing a few years ago. As it turned out I turned the offer down because I abhor production work. In reality they most likely resorted to harsh laser marquetry. Sometimes fate leads you into the right direction.

To understand the underlining problem it is best to remember that export and import of exotic timber and veneer comes under a collective agreement between member countries of CITES or Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species. In some cases the finished product is illegal if taken across international borders. In the U.S. enforcement is extended through the Lacey Act. Banned veneer is not problematic, however, for the individual craftsman if they were harvested or acquired before 1973, but exporting requires documentation and an export license. Brazilian rosewood is a good example. Some craftsmen, including myself, have this veneer in a small flitch which was obtained before 1992 when it was banned. In marquetry a little bit goes a long way. As long as I don't export any of it in a raw or finished product I am free of illegal trading.


Other banned materials of interest to those involved in marquetry are Tortoiseshell, Ivory and Mother of Pearl with the last less restricted in the raw form. Tortoiseshell has been banned since 1973 and is only available, if you can find it, from antique sources. Ivory, on the other hand, is generally prohibited especially Elephant ivory from Africa. An adult Elephant can yield about 100 pounds of Ivory. Small amounts of ivory can be obtained from reclamation dealers, but of little use in marquetry except for the smallest detail. I have a few pieces of ivory obtained from a Victorian piano, one of which is pictured below. Although these were given to me some time ago, I have yet to find a use for them.  Maybe I'll make a set of pens out of them.

Having an embargo on endangered woods and animals is a good thing. The down side is that poachers can ask and get higher prices for their efforts. And this in spite of the fact that there are substitutes for the above named materials that are less expensive. I can't help but wonder where all that ebony and rosewood from Gibson will end up. Will it be reduced to tinder (unlikely) or will it be exported by the government to another country like China which has a huge demand for it.