stylised, standing on four tapering hollow legs, the head with small ears turned outwards, openings for the eyes, the trunk widening to form a wide spout, the back with opening lid, the tail raised to one side, engraved with naturalistic detailing, the engraved decoration with trappings on the sides with a bird roundel to either side, the lid with a palmette within a scrolling palmette vine border, within a wider band of palmette vine
14.5 cm. long; 9.3 cm. high

Footnotes

Depictions of elephants from Medieval period Persia are rare. An incense burner or pomander in the form of an elephant, attributed to Eastern Iran or Northern India, late 12th/ early 13th Century, can be found in the Nasser D. Khalili Collection (MTW.; Rogers, J. M., The Arts of Islam. Treasures from the Nasser D. Khalili Collection, Exhibition Catalogue, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 22nd June - 23rd September 2007, p. 83, cat. no. 74); a Seljuk pottery elephant with blue glaze was sold through these rooms (Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Works of Art, 11th October 2000, lot 406).

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A rare Khorasan bronze Oil Lamp in the form of an Elephant Persia, 10th/ 11th Century

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Matthew Thomas