Japanese
Ornament: Elephant with Children, late 19th century
Ivory with inlaid mother-of-pearl, colored ivory, agate, and carnelian, 6.4 x 5.1 cm (2 1/2 x 2 in.)
This Japanese ornament depicts an elephant with children and is ivory with inlaid mother of pearl, colored ivory, agate and carnelian. The bejeweled elephant is carrying a person who is seated on a stool that is placed on a large tray on the elephant’s back. This person is holding a staff and feather in their right hand. A child who is wearing a hat and playing a flute stands on one side of the elephant. Another child wearing a hat is playing a drum and stands on the other side of the elephant. There is another child next to the elephant’s head and looks upward. He is holding a round object in his hand. All of the figures are wearing white flowing robes with gold embroidery.
Little Salon
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.