James Edwards wrote: > a tusk of what? Mammoth, elephant, walrus, > rhinocerous, or other; and where did he get it from? I'm sure he acquired it > legally somehow, but don't you want to know? It's odd to me that we can be so > concerned about the details of "historical correctness" regarding the lute > and its music, and yet have a cavalier attitude about a contemporary and > controversial issue that involves the lives of other (non-lute playing) > mammals > currently sharing the planet with us.
A fair question; I suppose healthy skepticism is warranted. I, for one, am a little skeptical about you and your wife keeping elephants in your living room, but I suppose when you live near Hearst castle the zoning rules are a bit lax. Dan certainly did not get it from a rhinoceros, BTW, since rhinoceri have no ivory; rhino horns are keratin and useless to humans, except to be ground into powder and sold at ridiculous prices as an aphrodisiac. It is probably the single most preposterous cause of driving an animal to the point of extinction. H
