Should ivory and art be judged separately?

Edmonton musician Taddes Korris is a trained double bassist. A few years ago he decided to skip an audition for the Winnipeg Symphony because he feared that his antique ivory bow would be destroyed when he crossed the border from the U.S.

For context: Two tons of ivory, valued at close to $8 million, were recently crushed in New York's Central Park. What's different about this crushing, compared to some of the other public crushings or burns we've seen in the past, was the type of ivory being destroyed. These were mainly small pieces of art. Carvings, trinkets, and jewelry.

These crushings are a response to crackdowns on the ivory trade. Many countries, including Canada, have even created laws that prohibit the sale or trade of ivory to dissuade further elephant poaching. But what happens when we start destroying pieces of art?

Korris says that musical instruments are valuable because they are both tools and art. He understands why the use of ivory is wrong but feels that simply destroying art and instruments containing it is actually disrespectful to the animal.

Korris talks to q about the tension between art and ivory.

— Produced by Ben Jamieson

* Audio for this segment will be added after the interview has aired.