Bonhams Cancels Auction of Rhino Horn Carvings After Fierce Opposition from Animal Rights Group

Auction house Bonhams has cancelled the sale of a collection of rhinoceros carvings scheduled to take place in Hong Kong on 27 November after facing fierce opposition from a wildlife conservation group. The group started a petition to stop the sale and has gathered nearly 10,000 signatures. Matthew Girling, Global CEO of Bonhams, responded in a public statement today that the auction house will not offer any sales of rhinoceros horn items in the future.

Screenshot of the catalogue of Bonhams’ sale of Chinese rhinoceros horn carvings

Screenshot of the catalogue of Bonhams’ sale of Chinese rhinoceros horn carvings

Bonhams originally scheduled a sale in Hong Kong on 27 November offering 21 pieces of rhinoceros horns carvings from the collection of Angela Chua, a Hong Kong collector. Rhinocero horns items offered include libation cups, snuff bottles, pouring vessels, a hairpin and a knife.


The sale caught the attention from an environmental organisation WildAid, which has shown its strong opposition against the auction with concern that the sale “will only serve to stimulate poaching, trafficking and trade of Africa's last remaining rhinos.” The wildlife conservation group called on the auction house to cancel the sale. Responding to the protest, Bonhams initially planned to go ahead with the sale but assured that all the rhinoceros horn carvings carry the necessary CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) licenses.

The petition has received nearly 10,000 signatures

Wildlife conservation organisations from around the world started a petition to ask Matthew Girling, Global CEO of Bonhams, to “stop the Hong Kong blood rhino horn sale”. The petition has now received nearly 10,000 signatures.

Matthew Girling, Global CEO of Bonhams

The official statement from the auction house

This morning, Matthew Girling, Global CEO of Bonhams released a statement that the sale will now not take place. The auction house has also pledged not to offer artefacts of rhinoceros horn in its salerooms. Environmental group WildAid applauded the decision and now calls on Sotheby’s to join Christie’s and Bonhams to stop any sale of rhino horns.