Description
My father bought them when he was in Vietnam on duty and cherished them very much but over the years the have been splitting and i am afraid to get the repaired before i get them appraised. The eyes are genuine pearls still in perfect condition but the ivory teeth have been broken. There is alot of sentimental value to these lions but i am curious if they have any monetary value since my father has passed away and they are now in my care i would llike to know if i need to insure them or not.
Re: 2 wooden lions
Emerald,
It is difficult to give you even an estimate, without some photos and dimensions etc. But because you are not trying to sell them, I'll give you some ideas here.
In 1979 the US marine ivory act made it illegal to import marine sources of ivory, such as from walrus and other such animals. This was followed by the elephant act in October 1988 where it became illegal to import Elephant Ivory. (Mammoth ivory was also covered at about the same time.) So basically, if you were in possession of the ivory pieces before those dates (and get it documented!) then you are good. Getting specific insurance for the piece helps you with your documentation and will permit you to inherit/sell at a later date. So it's worth doing it for that alone.
Interestingly Vietnam has been fighting the battle with a number of laws on the subject starting as far back as 1960! Apparently it's gotten worse not better since then.
There are similar acts for certain hardwood tree species as well, for similar reasons.
The splitting of the wood is a normal occurrence due to the drying of the wood when taken to a different climate. Oiling the wood (furniture oil not car oil!) I find helps reduce the cracking if done before it drys out.
The actual insurance value (and that's what you are asking for, which differs from auction value and retail value) depends upon how much damage is done, type of wood, quality of carving, size, etc. so it is very hard to give you an accurate figure with what little you have supplied here.
Small wood only items (2-3 inches) appear to have an insurance value of about $50 while larger (floor size) with mixed woods and /or ivory etc. go for a few thousand dollars, to give you an idea of the range involved. I would GUESS,from the brief description you gave of style and content, that you are looking at about $100- $200 range each. But that is simply a guess without seeing the items, the damage, the size etc. so take it only as a ball park guesstimate.
If you decide to get them restored, have it done professionally. An amateur restoration will only make things worse and can easily devalue an object greatly. A professional will be able to do it without ruining the patina, for example. A local Museum that handles items similar to this could help you find a qualified restorer. It's best to wait to find the right person than to rush and ruin the item.
To restore or not depends mostly on your personal value of the items and how badly damaged they already are. In any case, keep all the pieces together so that they don't get lost, and photograph them as they are for your records!
Hope this helps!