'Thai Elephant' (Thailand)

Arrayed in a blue saddle blanket with golden chains, an elephant is portrayed in golden light. Parinya Nanjai paints an elegant portrait of the royal symbol. The first record of a white elephant captured in Thailand was in 1471, and King Borommatrailokkanant took the title Lord of the White Elephant. In the 1500s, King Mahachakkaphat had seven white elephants in his herd. By the 17th century, elephant hunting was the sport of kings. White elephants graced the Siamese national flags of 1816 and 1917 before Siam was re-named Thailand. The painting is framed in bamboo.