A RARE AND LARGE CHINESE FAMILLE-ROSE FIGURE OF AN ELEPHANT LATE 18TH / EARLY 19TH CENTURY |

modeled standing foursquare with head turned to one side and slightly lowered, molded with light wrinkles throughout the body, wearing a large iron-red ground cloth painted with a gilt dragon pursuing 'flaming pearls' painted on each side within a green border terminating in multi-colored tassels, fastened by a similarly colored harness with gilt-edge, all beneath an oval-shaped pink flower-patterned cloth with blacked silver and gilt border, the front of the simulated shagreen saddle raised, all surmounted by a compressed yellow-ground gu-form vase painted in the mid-section with blue dragons amidst floral sprays

Sotheby Parke Bernet Monaco, February 13, 1983, lot 359
Aveline et Cie., Paris
Collection of Mrs. Charles B. Wrightsman
Sotheby Parke Bernet, January 25, 1989, lot 218

Ears, tusks and trunk with old restoration, the trunk and tusk ends probably made up. The right foreleg has been off and restored back on. Glaze and firing cracks to the elephant including on the top of the head. There is a loss to one section of the gold harness buckle and one small 3/8 (1 cm) chip to the shagreen saddlel. The top surface of the vase and the edge of the pink saddle cloth has been worn. There is a small chip to the green border of the red ground carpet. There is fritting to some of the balls above the tassels. Vase on top of the elephant is a separate piece but now affixed to the elephant, possibly at manufacture
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Rebuses are fundamental to Chinese art and their patrons. The visual pun for elephant, xiang, and a vase on its back, ping, refers to taiping youxiang, meaning 'peaceful times'. Further discussion on this topic see Terese Tse Barthomomew, Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, San Francisco, 2006, pp. 237-238.  A figure which appear to form the pair to the present example was sold at Christie's London, October, 31, 1977, lot 85. Two related examples are illustrated in Xu, Huping. ed. Treasures in the royalty : the official kiln porcelain of the Chinese Qing dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, pp. 286-287.