Elephant at a Gallop
The painters of the Kota court excelled at depicting elephants in action rather than in static postures, breaking with a long tradition of such representations in Mughal and Deccan court painting. Here the animal rushes forth, perhaps excited to be unrestrained, even though his chains are still attached. His keeper (mahout), sitting astride the animal’s neck with his legs concealed behind the broad ears, guides him with a sharply hooked goad (ankus). The elephant’s truncated tusks capped in silver indicate that he belongs to the royal stables. His dark-stained forehead and bloodshot eye reveal that he is in rut (or mast, from the Persian term for “drunk”), a period of heightened sexual activity. Male elephants in this state were often aggressive, dangerous, and unpredictable, but they were also a favorite for depiction in paintings, allowing for dramatic representations.
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