The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

Drawing of an Elephant

Drawing of an Elephant

c. 1700
ink on paper
Image: 12.8 x 18.1 cm (5 1/16 x 7 1/8 in.); Overall: 20 x 25.3 cm (7 7/8 x 9 15/16 in.)
Edward L. Whittemore Fund 1969.65
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Domesticated elephants had their tusks trimmed and decorated with gold rings.

Description

Beginning with Babur, but especially with Akbar, the Mughal emperors displayed an enormous interest in and affection for the elephants of India. The palace housed many elephants, used by the royal court for practical tasks such as carrying heavy loads through rivers and over difficult ground, for charging into battle, and, sometimes, for executing captives. They were also used for entertainment purposes such as riding, ceremonial processions, hunting, and fighting. Royal elephants were cared for by trained staff and kept on a special diet. Their tusks, necks, and ankles were often decorated with golden chains and hoops encrusted with jewels and pearls.
  • ?–1969
    (Kasmin Gallery, London, UK, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1969–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Lee, Sherman E. "The Year in Review for 1969." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 57, no. 1 (1970): 2-50. Mentioned: no. 217, p. 51 www.jstor.org
    "Art of Asia Recently Acquired by American Museums, 1969." Archives of Asian Art 24 (1970): 86-117. Mentioned: p. 107 www.jstor.org
    Kathman, Barbara A. A Cleveland Bestiary. Cleveland, OH; Cleveland Museum of Art, 1981. Reproduced: p. 40; Mentioned: p. 39, p. 62
    Leach, Linda York. Indian Miniature Paintings and Drawings. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art in cooperation with Indiana University Press, 1986. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 40
  • Art and Stories from Mughal India. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 31-October 23, 2016).
    A Cleveland Bestiary. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 15-December 16, 1981).
    Year in Review: 1969. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 27-February 22, 1970).
  • {{cite web|title=Drawing of an Elephant|url=false|author=|year=c. 1700|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1969.65