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This figurine of an elephant carries a large platform on its back and wears heavy armor. It is one of about ten such figurines in collections around the world. Some of them appear to bear musicians, perhaps indicating that they represent a ceremonial procession. Zoomorphic figurines like this one were a popular form of ceramic object during the Seljuq period. They were made for an elite sector of society, though their precise meaning and function remain unknown. Some figurines are hollow and have holes where liquid could be poured in or out, and others may have been used in the bath as scrubbing stones. Many, however, have no obvious function and must have been decorative or ceremonial objects.
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Figurine of an elephant
Seljuq period
11th–12th century
Object Place: Rayy, Iran
Medium/Technique
Fritware with turquoise glaze
Dimensions
Overall: 26.7 x 15.2 x 27.9 cm (10 1/2 x 6 x 11 in.)
Credit Line
University Museum—M. F. A. Persian Expedition
Accession Number39.430
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAsia, Islamic Art
ClassificationsCeramics
This figurine of an elephant carries a large platform on its back and wears heavy armor. It is one of about ten such figurines in collections around the world. Some of them appear to bear musicians, perhaps indicating that they represent a ceremonial procession. Zoomorphic figurines like this one were a popular form of ceramic object during the Seljuq period. They were made for an elite sector of society, though their precise meaning and function remain unknown. Some figurines are hollow and have holes where liquid could be poured in or out, and others may have been used in the bath as scrubbing stones. Many, however, have no obvious function and must have been decorative or ceremonial objects.
Provenance1936, excavated at Rayy (Chal Turkhan, in present-day Iran), by the University Museum-M.F.A. Persian Expedition; 1939, assigned to the MFA as part of the division of excavated objects. (Accession Date: January 12, 1939)