Antique paired sculptures "Fighting elephants" in blankets. Ceramics, glaze. Southeast Asia, XX century.

The elephant is an amazing animal, striking in its size, friendliness, and at the same time, it is far from the safest representative of the animal world. War elephants were an "elite unit" in Ancient Asia. They were used against horses, which were very afraid of the formidable appearance of huge animals, decorated with a battle blanket, metal ringing decorations. On the backs of elephants there was often a "crew" - a mahout, where the soldiers sat. The shooters protected their elephant, securing it from different sides, preventing the infantry from attacking the belly of the animal. The art of elephant training was highly valued; it was taught to Indian princes and nobles.