A PAIR OF GILT AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED COPPER REPOUSSÉ PLAQUES DEPICTING ‘PRECIOUS ELEPHANTS’, HASTIRATNA, 17TH-18TH CENTURYTibet. Each caparisoned elephant shown standing with the head turned to one side, the back supporting the Three Jewels over an elaborate saddle cloth decorated with foliate scroll and suspending beaded and floral jewelry, wearing a bell around the neck, finely detailed with red and green pigment. (2)Provenance: Collection de Monsieur E., a private collection of Tibetan bronzes in France.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and manufacturing irregularities, rubbing to gilt and pigments, few small dents and tiny nicks.Weight: 402 g (total)Dimensions: ca. 29 x 27 cm (each)Elephants are symbols of majesty, power, endurance, self-control, and gentleness in Buddhism. The present lot more specifically represents the Precious Elephant, which is one of the Seven Treasures of the chakravartin, or ‘universal monarch’. The mythical concept of the Buddhist chakravartin originated in India, where rulers rode elephants in both battle and peaceful processions. For further discussion of the chakravartin, see Beer, The Encylopedia of Tibetan Symbols, 1999, page 163.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: , 2 October 2012, lot 1639Price: USD 6,250 or approx.EUR 7,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt copper alloy bronze ‘precious elephant’, hastiratna, Tibet, 17th centuryExpert remark:pare the closely related subject. Note that the lotprises only a single elephant, cast in the round, and is of much smaller size (20.3 cm).Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie’s New York, 23 March 2012, lot 1793Price: USD 20,000 or approx.EUR 23,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Gilt Repousse Copper Plaque of a Caparisoned Elephant, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)Expert remark:pare the related subject, and the repoussé technique. Note the similar size (25.4 cm) and the fact that this example may be slightly earlier than the present lot.十七至十八世紀一對銅鎏金錘鍱彩繪象寳西藏。大象頭轉向一側，站立，背部支撐著三顆珠寶，上面是精心製作的鞍座，上面裝飾著纏枝如意紋並懸掛著瓔珞和花卉首飾，脖子上戴著一個鈴鐺，上面飾有紅色和綠色顏料。(2)