When Cyrus the Great founded the First Persian Empire in 550 BC, it was the largest dominion in the world. Such a remarkable empire required cutting-edge defense—in this case, elephants! True, elephants were difficult to train and costly to maintain. But they did provide a competitive edge (at least for a while). When Alexander the Great came to conquer the empire in 334 BC, the elephant troops did cause him a moment of concern. Eventually, however, Alexander figured his way around the elephants and annexed Darius III's enormous realm to his sprawling Macedonian Empire.
The pair of bookends, shown above, capture the warrior-pachyderm in all its parade route finery. Chain mail armor protects his head and hindquarters. And a dress blanket is decorated with classic Persian tracery—like one might find in a palace window or wall decoration. The bookends are beautifully sculpted, then bronze-clad, patinated and hand-painted in just the right spots. This specimen is among the nicest (and most interesting) pairs of bookends I've ever acquired. Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248