Elephant

Object Details

Description

Pale greyish-white jade with amber and brown markings. The generous mound of jade carved as a reclining elephant with its head turned back on its body. Its trunk is curled in the opposite direction behind the crossed tusks to nestle against the extended right front leg, while its hind legs bend back at the knees toward the rump. The compact pose expresses effectively the lumbering bulk of the elephant. Additional details--the flopping veined ears, small round eyes, heavy folds of skin behind its neck and limbs--contribute to its intense realism. The underside of the feet as well as the individual toes are described with admirable precision. Wrinkles, on its forehead and emanating from the corners of its beady eyes, give the animal an impish personality not encountered on other jade elephants.

Label

Without much distortion of the original shape of the stone, an artisan produced in this piece a winsome elephant, which as a motif has a long history in Chinese art. The animal was prized as a source of the favored luxury good, ivory, and was also associated with symbolic meanings. The Chinese word for elephant (xiang) sounds like another word meaning "image" or "emblem," so the animal was considered to symbolize a visible manifestation of the hidden workings of the cosmos.

This carving is difficult to date with certainty, but the sensitive, almost naturalistic portrayal of the elephant suggests a date in the Song dynasty. The precise articulation of the individual toes, including on the underside of the feet, is another feature typical of Song dynasty workmanship. Members of the scholar class liked to collect jades because they felt the innate qualities of the stone--its hardness and smooth tactile quality--were good metaphors for the integrity and purity of a gentleman.

Collection

Arthur M. Sackler Collection

Exhibition History

5000 Years of Chinese Jade (October 1, 2011 to February 19, 2012)

Magic, Myths, and Minerals: Chinese Jades from the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (August 23, 2003 to January 29, 2006)

Chinese Jade Animals (April 19 to July 14, 1996)

The Arts of China (November 18, 1990 to September 7, 2014)

Monsters, Myths and Minerals (September 28, 1987 to November 26, 1995)

Celadon, Jade: Finds, Specimen, Scientific Results (May to June 1963)

Credit Line

Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

960-1279

Period

Song dynasty

Accession Number

S1987.825

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Sculpture

Medium

Jade

Dimensions

H x W x D: 5.3 x 11.8 x 7.6 cm (2 1/16 x 4 5/8 x 3 in)

Origin

China

Related Online Resources

Google Cultural Institute

See more items in

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Topic

jade

elephant

Song dynasty (960 - 1279)

China

Chinese Art

Record ID

fsg_S1987.825

Metadata Usage (text)

Not determined

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye331deb5e1-3ff8-44f5-876e-84b8be121356