What Happens if Pernambuco Wood Becomes Illegal in Music?

Key Points:

• Older musical instruments often contain materials from endangered species, such as ivory from African elephants and shell from hawksbill sea turtles, which are now protected by law.
• In 2014, several bows with ivory tips were confiscated at New York's Kennedy Airport during an international ivory trade crackdown, highlighting legal challenges for musicians with vintage instruments.
• Musicians frequently replace protected materials in their instruments to avoid confiscation, as seen with Rafael Figueroa, who swapped his bow’s ivory tip for silver and replaced his cello’s rosewood tailpiece with ebony.
• Replacement is not always straightforward, especially for components like the pernambuco wood used in most string instrument bows, which faces increased protection measures due to its endangered status.
• The tension between conservation laws and the preservation of historic musical instruments continues to create challenges for musicians and regulatory authorities.