Antique Hand-Carved Elephant Parade, Set of 6, Graduated Sizes, Purchased in South Africa in the 1920s

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A parade of six hand-carved elephants likely by the same artist. Carved from palm wood, and probably coco palm, these … Read more A parade of six hand-carved elephants likely by the same artist. Carved from palm wood, and probably coco palm, these elephants were purchased in South Africa in the 1920s by a Massachusetts family on safari -- on their honeymoon! Their grandchildren recently parted ways with these six that matched. The set has stayed together now for a century, a rare thing for pieces of this age. It is also often quite difficult to know when African carvings were made, but these are dated through their history.

The wood has a warm, reddish-brown tone with a distinctive fibrous grain and dark flecking indicative of palm wood. Each elephant has sculpted ears, a curled trunk, and small inlaid eyes. Their graduated sizing gives the set a lively sense of movement, and work well as mid-century modern decor (even though they date from the 1920s.

They would look lovely on a windowsill, mantel, shelf, or credenza. Palm wood varies in weight from piece to piece, so you may notice slight differences when you handle them. That’s typical of hand-carved pieces made from natural material. See less