Head of an elephant

Brush drawing on paper.

Elephants frenzied in their mast season (see the previous painting, Enraged elephant [LI118.45]), and at the height of their formidable vitality, became a favourite subject for Kota artists. This fragmentary drawing shows a court elephant in mast, with a dark secretion flowing from his temple. His animated eye swims in a vortex of fluid lines and hatchings.

To view a high-resolution version of this image and for further information please visit the Yousef Jameel Online Centre at the Ashmolean.