A new record was reached in terms of volume and turnover in an elephant tusk auction, in Cannes on Saturday.

"The sale fetched an overall 625,000 euros, for 910 kilograms of tusks, setting a world record for a private auction", AFP was told by Alexandre Debussy, Associate Director of the Cannes auction house. 

‘The entire stock of elephant trophies acquired from Africa prior to 1976, and thus legally marketable, was bought by Chinese purchasers, negotiating by phone through dealers’, Mr Debussy said, pointing out that elephant tusks ‘are viewed as a status symbol in China’.

Prices ran as high as 925euros/kilo, equaling the record levels attained by the same auction house in a sale on March 8. The biggest lot, totaling 73kilos, was sold for 64,000euros.

The full article is available at the following link: actu.orange.fr

In press (in French only) :

♦ Enchères: des défenses d'éléphant à prix d'or -  Une vidéo publiée…:  La maison de ventes Cannes Enchères proposait samedi une vente exceptionnelle consacrée aux objets en ivoire. Parmi eux, des défenses d'éléphant, adjugées plus de 63 000 euros. La vente d'ivoire est très contrôlée: seuls les objet importés avant 1976 sont autorisés 

 ♦ Vente aux enchères : des défenses d'éléphants s'arrachent à prix d'or à Cannes 

Image credit: here