Re: Replacement Ivory

[John P. Giunta <JGIUNTA@fen1.gmu.edu>]

Friends of MICAT:
 
My respectful bow goes to all who are restoring the world's
instruments.  You have my thanks for the work you are doing.
 
If the following plea is already part of common practice among
craftspeople, then I withdraw these comments.
 
I submit a firm admonishment about using "new" ivory.  The world is a
different place from the times when these dear old instruments were
made.  Living creatures need the ivory much more than an old musical
instrument does.  If we continue to create needs for ivory, no matter
what the end user does with it, we endanger animals that are
consequently butchered for their teeth.  Sadly, the animals' remains
are almost always left behind--not even reaching the starving people
of the Earth.
 
I respectfully implore all our craftspeople to use ONLY synthetic
ivory replacement materials.  Ingenuity and imagination will show the
way toward success with the use of synthetics.  The ONLY exception
should be to use a salvaged piece of real ivory from an article that
can no longer be used for another purpose.
 
I believe that the viewing public does not want to see that
instruments have been restored with new ivory, and that it hurts the
cause of musical instrument restoration if this is done.
 
John Peter Giunta, B.M., M.A.
VIENNA WOODS STUDIOS
117 Moore Avenue, S.W.
Vienna, Virginia 22180-5968
(703) 281-5498