Chinese Gangs Behind Rhino-Horn Crime, Connie Francis Collection, and More Fresh News
Examples of beads, bangles, powder, shavings and disks made in South Africa from illicitly obtained rhino horn. All of the items shown come from recent seizures. Image courtesy of Wildlife Justice Commission
News and updates from around the arts and auction community:
- A new study shows organized criminal gangs of Chinese origin are behind illegal rhino-horn processing in South Africa. The horns taken from slaughtered rhinos are being turned into jewelry and powder locally, then smuggled to consumers, primarily in Vietnam and China. [Read the new report from TRAFFIC]
- Decades before Britney Spears or Katie Perry, there was Connie Francis, America’s first female pop star. An Oct. 1 auction in Beverly Hills will feature the chart-topping entertainer’s jewels, gowns, awards and even personal love letters between her and the late singer/songwriter Bobby Darin. [Read more from Intelligent Collector]
- What’s your favorite board game – Monopoly, Risk, maybe backgammon? They all have one thing in common: dice. Dice have been around since the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, who hand-carved their sets from bovine bone. [View an example at LiveAuctioneers.com]
- Mile High Card Co., recently held a very successful $2.4 million sports memorabilia auction, but the most talked-about item wasn’t a pricey game-used uniform or signed ball; it was an 1887 Old Judge Cigarettes premium card depicting a baseball player with a scene-stealing little dog. [Read more from Forbes]
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