Elephants are popular and collectible items in their own right so elephant automatons are particularly desirable.
Below are some examples and price guides of elephant automatons including a silvered bronze and enameled automaton clock and an elephant with a rider.
A SILVERED BRONZE, ENAMELED SILVER AND GILT-BRONZE ELEPHANT AUTOMATON CLOCK
AUGSBURG, CIRCA 1600-1610
The clock is in the form of an elephant, with a howdah in the form of a castle tower, with four turbaned soldiers with raised scimitars which rotate around the tower, there are two enameled dials and two glass dials through which the clock works are visible, the elephant’s eyes move and he is accompanied by two mahouts, one riding on his back and a second walking alongside, all on a naturalistically-cast ground on a silver-mounted ebony and ebonized pearwood veneered base over an oak carcass, which encloses further mechanics which propel the automaton forward in a slight circle, the works are currently partially non-functioning
Sold for USD 2,610,000 at Christie’s in 2021
Unusual Elephant with Rider and Mahout Musical Manivelle Automaton
Germany, maker unknown. Bristle-mohair-covered papier-mâché elephant with articulated head and trunk, rider and a mahout with painted bisque heads marked with anchor and initials “L.C.”, glass eyes and carved wood limbs, dressed in jackets and turbans (not removed for inspection), on paper-covered base with hand-turned musical movement causing the elephant to nod and the rider to nod while the mahout turns his head and raises a stick
Sold for €900 at Auction Team Breker in 2020
