Elephant with Mahout
Mughal elephant portraits are notable for their outstanding observation of these majestic animals, dignifying them by recording every feature with the sensitivity typically accorded high courtiers. Here an imperial elephant stands in profile surmounted by its mahout (keeper), whose smaller scale serves to emphasize the grandeur of the pachyderm. The elephant is untethered, a sign of its maturity and trustworthiness, and is caparisoned with trappings and bells, sacred orange symbols painted on the face, and a double back cover. While the saddlecloths bring in color accents, all other tones and background details are subdued to privilege the elephant’s presence on the page.
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