Wood Elephant, Burmese? Polychrome?

Not sure if I'm posting to the correct board, but thought I'd try here...So here's my first "what is it". I picked this up in a local thrift store about 7 years ago. I'm thinking it has some age, possibly Burmese, but could be Pier One Imports here in the States for all I know. Carved wood, not extremely heavy, but not light either. I know how to clean it, but have chosen not to as the paint is fragile on the piece. Assuming it was meant to be a white elephant, and the color has changed to tan with age, but don't know. Appears to be a light layer of a type of plaster applied before painting it. It measures approx 13 1/2" tall, 12" from front to back, and the base is 5 1/2 inches wide. Looks like possibly a stand of some type, though the top is narrow for a plant. Don't know if describing it as polychrome would be accurate, as it does have a mettalic pigment on it.

 

pol·y·chrome
/ˈpälēˌkrōm/

adjective
adjective: polychrome
painted, printed, or decorated in several colors.



that ear chip....u sure ths is wood ?

 

Yep, and very dark wood too. Maybe you can tell more on the picture of the bottom.

https://www.antiquers.com/attachments/basewe-jpg.234819/

 

The top of the base is lacquered...

 

Looks like a circular stamp in the middle of the bottom and some faint lettering.

 

Good eye!

Also tagging @Any Jewelry , who might have some idea of what this is.

 

Asian, for sure...and I will say India.

 

My pictures aren't good enough to tell, sorry, but the circle on the bottom looks actually like a cut in the wood, with a screwdriver head shaped hole in the center, and another similar hole to the right.. At first I thought it was a natural ring in the wood, but now I think it might have been some way of holding the piece while making it.? I'll try again to get a better picture for you.

 

Does this help and what about the goldish red thingy further over and to the left?????
Kind of looks like something???

 

Oops, not really. My impression is Chinese, but I could be wrong.
The Chinese often depict elephants this way, a bit 'wrinkly' and with a very curled trunk. And the saddle cloth reminds me of Chinese carved panels like the one below.
Over the last few decades the Chinese have started to give polychrome painted carvings that 'antique' look.

I think it has been 'antiqued', so it could be more recent.

 

My apologies and many many thanks to all who worked on helping me with this! After many epic failures trying to get a better set of photos to post here, I found a lump on one of our pups that needed to be looked at right away, so I wasn't able to return to the post till now. You all are amazing!

 

The information you gave was just what I needed to move this piece on. After purchasing the elephant I had asked a Chinese dealer friend of mine what it was, and he had said there was no way it was Chinese, so I had abandoned the search word Chinese. After reading your post, I went and checked out what you had directed me to. No doubt about it in my mind, and the description of antiqued hit the nail on the head. Even the giant spool on the top made sense after finding Chinese elephant candle holders that looked too similar to not be what they were going for. I love the research part of all of this, and have learned so much already from this group! Thank you!

 

Jet, I hope your pup is doing ok now. Good that you made it's health your priority, it needs you.

Oh, good, I'm glad.

China is a big country. Besides, it is hard for Chinese outside China to keep up with the huge manufacturing and sale developments in China over the last few decades. So it is no wonder he didn't recognize it as traditional.
I am used to seeing crafts from different Asian countries, so I can rule out some things and include references to other things when looking at an item. If that makes sense.

Good luck with the sale, it is cute and an elephant, so there should be no problem.

 

Thank you again, and on a side note my Shih Tzu Hazel is doing ok now. They think she had a skin infection of some sort, possibly a bug bite, and the swelling is going down with antibiotics. They give so much love, and expect so little in return...

 

Oh, good, glad to hear it.

So true.