Importing Meiji periode bone mounts to Europe / customs?

[TheGermanBastard]

I had recently bought a blade mounbted in the typical Meji periode tourist junk mounts made of some sort bone.

 

Now customs are asking for the nature of the bone.

 

Does anybody have any advice on what paperwork is needed and what kind of bone these mounts are typically made off? I was thinking that since they are not ivory and and antqiue there ought to be no problem.

 

Thanks for your advice

[micah]

do you have pictures of the mounts 

[Brian]

They would invariably have been of common ox or cow bone. But proving that is another matter.

[TheGermanBastard]

Here are the mounts. I was thinking it could be walrus? But could be ox or cow bow as well. I have no idea. Any thoughts on the nature of this bone and what paperwork is required for its import to Europe?

[vajo]

Its not ivory.

 

Maybe whale bone? The seller should fill that CETIS paper and write it is bone from a cow.

[1kinko]

Definitely not walrus. Walrus tusks are not hollow, are filled with very dense crystalline structure and are not so long. 

[ChrisW]

I have a tourist blade in similar mounts, its 100% cow or ox bone. Its easy to work with, hollow, and cheap. I can see two seams so the saya is made of three pieces of probably femur bone.

[TheGermanBastard]

Does anybody have any links to websites that give information on these kind of mounts and what material they are made from (cow / ox).

 

If it is ox or cow then the imnport is no problem at all

[ChrisW]

https://japaneseswordindex.com/realold.htm

 

This is all I can remember at the moment.

 

Obviously, yours is one of those rare exceptions that is likely to be a true nihonto.

[1kinko]

I think only ivory and maybe walrus are prohibited. Both have obvious characteristics that are different from bone. It would be much easier to show what you have isn’t ivory or walrus than to prove what you prove what kind of bone you have.