Elephant10th century

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Title: Elephant
Place Made: Iran, probably Nishapur
Date Made: 10th century
Medium: Stone, carved
Dimensions: 2 5/8 x 3 1/2 in. (6.6 x 8.9 cm)
Credit Line: The Nasli M. Heeramaneck Collection, gift of Joan Palevsky
Accession Number: M.73.5.302
Classification: Stone
Collecting Area: Art of the Middle East: Islamic
Curatorial Notes: This stone elephant presents something of a mystery. Similar carved figures were produced in the early Islamic period as chess pieces, serving as the equivalent of the bishop in the game. This example, however, may have instead been made as a child’s toy and was possibly attached to a larger object, as is suggested by the drill holes through its tail and between its hindquarters.
Selected Bibliography: Pal, Pratapaditya, ed. Islamic Art: The Nasli M. Heeramaneck Collection. Los Angeles: Museum Associates, 1973.
Pal, Pratapaditya. Elephants and Ivories in South Asia. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1981.
Lo Terrenal y lo Divino: Arte Islámico siglos VII al XIX Colección del Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Ángeles. Santiago: Centro Cultural La Moneda, 2015.

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