Siam (Thailand): a white elephant of the King. Photograph by John Thomson, 1865.

  • Thomson, J. (John), 1837-1921.
Date:
1865
Reference:
19470i
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About this work

Description

One of twelve white elephants belonging to King Mongkut. The "white" elephants are really reddish-brown with pale eyelashes and toenails. Male white elephants were regarded with high esteem and were adorned with elaborate costumes. The photograph shows the mahout, wearing a distinctive conical hat, training the elephant to kneel; he is using an elephant control stick with a hook (an ankusa). A boy stands by the head of the elephant, several other elephant carers sit on the right with ropes and a parasol, and a large group of onlookers sit on the left. The walls of the Grand Palace are seen behind. For further details see Paisarn Piemmettawat, loc. cit.

Publication/Creation

1865.

Physical description

1 photograph : glass photonegative, wet collodion ; glass approximately 20.5 x 25.5 cm (8 x 10 in.)

Lettering

War elephant of Siam, 1866 Signed Bears Thomson's negative number: "610"

Notes

This is one of a collection of original glass negatives made by John Thomson. The negatives, made between 1868 and 1872, were purchased from Thomson by Sir Henry Wellcome in 1921

References note

Paisarn Piemmettawat, Siam through the lens of John Thomson 1865-66, including Angkor and coastal China, Bangkok: River Books, 2015, pp. 84-85

Reference

Wellcome Collection 19470i

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Where to find it

  • LocationStatusAccess
    Closed stores
    By appointmentManual request

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