A pair of cloisonné enamel and gilt bronze elephants, Qianlong/Jiaqing, late 18th century, China

Symbolic of peace, strength and wisdom, elephants are also considered by Buddhists to be sacred. When depicted supporting vases they are particularly auspicious since the words ‘peace’ and ‘vase’, in Chinese, have similar pronunciations, and also the words for ‘elephant’ and ‘things to come’ are very close; in combination, they can be interpreted as meaning ‘peaceful times to come’.

These caparisoned elephants each carry a vase decorated with lotus flowers, and are created in mirror image. Their heads, trunks and bodies have a white cloisonné ground, whilst their tusks, feet, tails, edges of ears, and their collars are in gilt bronze - the collars set with red, green and yellow paste ‘gemstones’.

The saddle cloths have a ground of turquoise blue cloisonné enamel with scrolling leaves and lotus flowers, auspicious Buddhist twin fish symbols, shou characters, and tassels - in blue, yellow, red, white and black enamels. The saddles have a red ground and are similarly decorated with scrolling leaves and flowers. Their harnesses are created in black enamel edged with gilt and these are also decorated with flowers and ribbons in red, blue and yellow.

Height: 60.5 cm

Similar examples: ‘Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry Collection’, Helmut Brinker and Albert Lutz, translated by Susanna Swoboda, The Asia Society Galleries, New York, 1989 - catalogue no. 332.