Composite Elephant with Monkey

A colorful, densely interlocking assemblage of animals—a crocodile, leopard, lion, tiger, horse, deer, fish, peacocks, and other birds and animals—is brought together to create this trumpeting elephant. A monkey sits atop the elephant as the mahout; it holds onto a snake that straps and secures the saddle. The origins of composite animals may be traced back to Iran and Central Asia. The genre was adopted by Mughal artists in northern India around 1600 and localized by the incorporation of animals that are native to India. It later spread to the Deccan and Rajasthan, and this work is a wonderful example. The meaning of these composite creatures remains ambiguous, though it has been suggested that they carry mystical significance and encourage the contemplation of the unity of all beings within God and divine sovereignty over the natural world.