Page 11 - Sotheby's May 10th 2017 London Animal Menagerie, Chinese Art

At the beginning of one’s practice in Buddhism, the uncontrolled mind is represented by
a grey elephant that can run wild and be destructive while a white elephant symbolises
the tamed and strong mind of the practitioner. Figures of elephants abound in Buddhist
contexts: they appear carrying a flower vase, which represents an offering to the deity being
worshipped, or lifting a trumpet-like vessel with its trunk, which was believed to create the
sound of the Buddhist Law and dispel evil. It is also related to both Shakyamuni Buddha,
the Historical Buddha, and Samantabhadra, the bodhisattva of compassion, the former said
to have been born as an elephant in one of his previous incarnations, and the latter often
shown riding a white elephant. The ears of the elephant, which are characterised by thin
veins running through them, are believed to resemble the leaves of the lotus flower, which
symbolise spiritual purity and the ability of all sentient beings to attain Buddhahood.
In Chinese folklore, the elephant is associated with the mythical Emperor Shun, one of
the twenty-four paragons of filial piety. According to legend, Shun was sent as a young
boy by his father and stepmother to cultivate the land when an elephant came to his
assistance and ploughed the field. The animal is also a symbol of peace as its name is a
homonym for the word ‘sign’, and when depicted with a vase (ping), it creates the phrase
‘taiping youxiang, yutang fugui’ (May there be peace and may your noble house be blessed
with wealth and honour), which is traditionally spoken during New Year celebrations.
In the Qing dynasty elephants were associated with the Imperial court and very often
appeared with vases on their backs during processions celebrating the Emperor’s birthday.

(Le ) Anonymous, Washing the Sacred Elephant , ink and colour on silk, handscroll, Ming or Qing Dynasty.
Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.