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拍品专文
Exotic animals, embodying wealth and rarity, have been used as diplomatic gifts in Europe since Antiquity. The practice continued in the Middle Ages, as evidenced by the elephant received by Charlemagne in 802 and the one given by Louis IX to Henry III in 1255. However, it was not until the 16th century when it became more widespread with animals employed as prestigious gifts associated with coronations or state visits.
Two of the most famous of these elephants were gifts from Portuguese kings. Firstly, in 1514, the elephant Hanno was given by King Manuel I of Portugal to Pope Leo X on the occasion of his election. In Rome, the animal was admired, and contemporary artists such as Raphael and Guilio Romano produced representations of it. Manuel I's son and successor, John III of Portugal, gave a second elephant to Archduke Maximilian II of Habsburg. The elephant's name, Suleiman, is derived from that of the then Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman the Magnificent, with whom the Habsburgs were at war throughout the 16th century. The beast then embarked on an extraordinary journey across Europe, accompanied by Maximillian, attracting huge crowds. On his journey, Suleiman crossed northern Italy, visiting the cities of Milan, Cremona, Mantua and Trento, provoking the same enthusiasm as Hanno a few years earlier.
Depictions of elephants gradually spread through Europe and artists seized on the enthusiasm of the curious, while knowledge of the animal's anatomy progressed. Yet the elephant motif remained relatively rare among 16th-century European bronzes. A comparable example to the present lot was sold at Christie’s, London on 5 December 2013, lot 18.
Two of the most famous of these elephants were gifts from Portuguese kings. Firstly, in 1514, the elephant Hanno was given by King Manuel I of Portugal to Pope Leo X on the occasion of his election. In Rome, the animal was admired, and contemporary artists such as Raphael and Guilio Romano produced representations of it. Manuel I's son and successor, John III of Portugal, gave a second elephant to Archduke Maximilian II of Habsburg. The elephant's name, Suleiman, is derived from that of the then Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman the Magnificent, with whom the Habsburgs were at war throughout the 16th century. The beast then embarked on an extraordinary journey across Europe, accompanied by Maximillian, attracting huge crowds. On his journey, Suleiman crossed northern Italy, visiting the cities of Milan, Cremona, Mantua and Trento, provoking the same enthusiasm as Hanno a few years earlier.
Depictions of elephants gradually spread through Europe and artists seized on the enthusiasm of the curious, while knowledge of the animal's anatomy progressed. Yet the elephant motif remained relatively rare among 16th-century European bronzes. A comparable example to the present lot was sold at Christie’s, London on 5 December 2013, lot 18.