Pendant in the Shape of a Fish-Tailed Elephant
Unknown Artist
185–72 BCE
Medium
gold
Classification
Jewelry
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1973.63
About this artwork
Because of water's life-giving properties, animals such as fish and Indian elephants who love the water were considered auspicious. This composite elephant with a playfully raised trunk and a curling fish tail would have been strung as a pendant on a necklace.