Figure of an Elephant with Two Miniature Vases

This object, with its multiple meanings, was most likely made in the imperial workshops in Beijing for use in the palace. An elephant carrying a vase on its back is a rebus for peaceful times. During the Qing dynasty, processions celebrating the emperor’s birthday featured real elephants carrying vases on their backs. This cloisonné elephant bears two vases, the upper vase in the shape of a double gourd inscribed with da ji, meaning “great fortune.” Depicted on the elephant’s saddle blanket, a rock rising from the ocean with a swastika above it also has multiple meanings: the rock means permanence, the waves signify abundance, and the swastika is a homophone of the Chinese word for “ten thousand” (wan), which signifies “infinity,” meaning that these blessings are multiplied limitlessly.