Jade Boy Riding Elephant

[Blue jade boy riding elephant]

Blue jade boy riding elephant, Tang Dynasty, 5.5 cm high, 7.3 cm long, 2.8 cm thick
The sapphire has grain cracks and flocculent spots. A man sat sideways on the back of the elephant. It looks like lying down, and looks gentle. The character wears a hood and leans back slightly. Wearing a long-sleeved shirt. The right leg is placed on the left leg, the right hand is raised behind the head, the left hand is placed on the leg, and the long sleeve is hung down to dance
Like the rulers of previous dynasties, the emperors of the Tang Dynasty are always curious about things from outside the country, and the neighboring countries are also willing to offer special products to get rich rewards. At that time, the animals offered in the Western Regions and Southeast Asia included horses, lions, elephants, leopards, rhinoceroses, parrots, etc. These animals are kept in the palace animal park, with special care and fixed food supply. Every time the court has banquets, or major celebrations and festivals, it often uses a variety of operas and miscellaneous music to cheer up. The five square envoys bring in elephant training, rhinoceros training, lion training and horse dancing, and worship or dance with music. Many poems and articles of the Tang Dynasty chant this. This painting depicts the scene of male dancers waving their sleeves on the back of the elephant. Horse dancing and lion training, as decorative subjects, are more common on gold and jade articles of the Tang Dynasty, but only elephant training is seen