733 - Large pair of Chinese export Canton porcelain elephant form candleholders, ca. 1810. Each of the wrinkly-nosed animals modeled standing foursquare with a vase (used as a candleholder in the West) emerging from a blanket upon its back. The body of the elephant in iron-red and richly decorated with gilt details. The saddles decorated in famille rose with profuse floral elements. Each marked along the underside. Provenance: The Distinguished Collection of Leo & Doris Hodroff. Reference: Sargent, "The Copeland Collection," pg. 196-7, no. 94. Howard & Ayers, "China for the West," pg. 610-11, no. 638. Gordon, "Collecting Chinese Export Porcelain," pg. 100, pl. 87l Lot Essay: The elephant is a symbol of the Universal Ruler due to its size and strength, and became one of the auspicious symbols of Buddhism. It is often an attribute of royalty due to its association to bodhisattvas. Additionally, along with the lion, tiger, and leopard, is one of the four creative forces representing power or energy. While elephants roamed China in prehistoric times, they may have been reintroduced as tributes from Yunnan and Vietnam. They were known gifts to the Kangxi emperor from the King of Siam and line Ming tombs outside Beijing and Nanjing. With these associations in mind, elephants were often used in pairs as vases or censers for alters. Upon the backs of each of these figures, they carry a vase (ping), which is a pun on the word peace (ping). These vases were intended to hold flowers or Buddhist/Daoist emblematic objects. Differing objects could be combined to create linguistic puns. (Each) height: 7 1/2 in x width: 9 in x depth: 6 1/2 in.