Qianlong The richly-gilt elephant standing foursquare with its head turned gently to its left, the wrinkled and well-rounded body caparisoned with ornamental trappings set with semi-precious stones, the tasselled saddle draped with a turquoise-ground cloth detailed with diaper pattern, supporting on its back an archaistic vase with taotie masks on a double-lotus base, five-coloured ruyi-clouds rising from the vase supporting a jade roundel with an ivory figure of Guanyin and a guardian deity on the reverse, surrounded by flames, all raised on a balustraded octagonal lotus stand on ruyi feet. 42cm (16 1/2in) high.