This figure of an elephant with two riders seated cross-legged on its back, is flanked by four marching figures carrying spears and weapons.The whole group is raised on a platform and would probably have been cast in separate parts which were then soldered together.Elephants have long been symbols of royalty in Southeast Asia. The motif appears in ceramic traditions of Vietnam (15th-16th centuries), and in Thailand a version with riders and armed warriors was produced at Sukhothai-Si Satchanali (14th-16th centuries). The latter were exported to Indonesia, which suggests that this bronze form could have provided the prototype for these later ceramic imports.
