Advanced Search 
Elephant Crushing a Tiger
Antoine Louis Barye (French, 1795–1875)
French
19th century
1837 (?)
Object Place: Europe, Paris, France
Medium/Technique
Metal; bronze
Dimensions
27.9 x 32 x 19.7 cm (11 x 12 5/8 x 7 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. S. D. Warren
Accession Number92.2639
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope
ClassificationsSculpture
DescriptionAn Indian mahout (professional elephant handler) rides atop an Asian elephant.The rider is clothed in flowing drapery and holds a short stick in his proper right arm which is raised above his proper left shoulder. He sits upon a saddle with incised (?) floral decoration. The elephant, whose head hangs down, has pinned down the tiger using his proper left tusk and his trunk. The tiger's body is crushed beneath the proper front left foot of the elephant. The tiger lies on his proper left side with his jaw open and tongue out. His properleft front paw, open in pain, extends over the base of the sculpture. The sc ulpture was cast in two pieces and screwed into the base.
InscriptionsSignature cast and chased (?) BARYE in front proper right of base below elephant's proper left front foot
Provenance1892, gift of Mrs. Samuel Dennis Warren (Susan Cornelia Clarke Warren) (b.1825-d.1901), Boston, to the MFA. (Accession Date: May 3, 1892)