An elephant in the room

This Art Nouveau style elephant and mahout (bronze c. 1906) was sold at auction recently for USD2,000 - well above its estimate of USD1,200 - proving the enduring popularity of these delightful creatures. Now some might claim I have a prejudice, having decried the recent animal sculptures that I featured, but obviously as well as admiring the craftsmanship, the scale of this piece (23.5" high), versus those of the reptiles is a lot more forgiving.

Well, the mind boggles if this had been made on the same scale as the crocodile and the snake.

Although by his headress the mahout is obviously Indian, elephants are obviously popular creatures here in Thailand, as they are a native species, and include the rare white elephant; such is the esteem of these that one of the royal honours bestowed on the deserving few is a class of the Order of the White Elephant, established by King Rama IV in 1861. (The Order of the Elephant is also the highest order of chivalry in Denmark.)