18TH CENTURY

Elephants with two boy attendants were popular subject matter for jade carving in the Qing dynasty, as the elephant is an auspicious symbol used in numerous rebuses to convey peace, prosperity and good fortune. The white elephant is also one of the seven treasures of Buddhism, and the reference to Buddhism is given further emphasis by the decoration of lotus petals encircling the blanket on its back.

Compare a carved jade elephant with children and ruyi, from the collection of the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 42 - Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 97. Compare, also a related white jade carving sold at Christie’s London, 14 May 2013, lot 81.