China Guardian ends rhino horn sales – fourth auction house to bring in global ban
- Chinese auction house acts after Bonhams and Sotheby’s cancel rhino horn sales in Hong Kong and say they won’t hold any in future; Christie’s already had ban
- Poly Auction the only major house yet to announce ban; wildlife campaigners say such sales encourage poaching of rhinoceroses
China Guardian has become the latest auction house to ban the sale of rhinoceros horn artefacts, following similar moves last week by Bonhams and Sotheby’s. Christie’s already had a ban in place.
China Guardian Hong Kong said it “fully supports and complies with international laws in relation to the protection of the rhinoceros”, adding: “We confirm that no rhinoceros horn artefacts will be on offer in the future.”
Headquartered in the Chinese capital, Beijing, China Guardian has offices in two other major Chinese cities, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and North America.
The decision leaves Poly Auction as the only one of Hong Kong's five big auction houses not to have announced a ban on such sales. The Post has asked Poly Auction for comment on the issue.
It has been reached for comment.
Sotheby's on Saturday caved in to pressure and announced it had withdrawn three rhino horn lots from a sale in Hong Kong later this month. It will said it will stop the sale of rhino horn artefacts in the future, said Nicolas Chow, chairman of Sotheby’s Asia and the auction house’s international head and chairman, Chinese works of art, in an email to the Post.