Bronze elephant sculptures  – a sensational gift guaranteed to thrill

For lovers of Elephants, not much beats the feel or impact of a hand made, solid bronze elephant sculpture as you carefully unveil it from a beautifully hand crafted gift box.

Taking two weeks to make by hand in a British foundry, Nelson & Forbes’s collection of elephants includes something for every occasion and is guaranteed to wow any lucky recipient.  From the adorable pair of baby elephants ‘One Plus One’ to the tender Elephant Mother and Baby Sculpture and the magnficent  Bull Elephant sculpture, there is something to signify any sentiment.

Each sculpture is individually numbered as one of a limited edition of just 250 castings and bears the artists signature.  Accompanying it in its gift box is a beautiful, copper plate printed certificate, hand signed by the artist, Jonathan Sanders.

Background to the Collection

From Next to Ikea and in art galleries around the world, limited and open edition prints of Jonathan Sanders’s highly sought after original elephant paintings have sold in their hundreds.

The first sculpture he created exclusively for Nelson & Forbes was Follow Me, depicting the two baby elephants seen walking together across the African plain in Jonathan’s very popular painting ‘Baby Elephants’ .

Follow Me was so gorgeous, that we immediately commissioned another pair of babies playing together and Tug of War was the result.

Once we saw the babies, we decided to commission a Mother Elephant leading her baby, as pictured in so many of Jonathan’s paintings. The result was Elephant Mother and Baby , created at the same scale as Follow Me and Tug of War.

Bull Elephant was sculpted to complete the family, along with the single babies Playing Elephant and Seated Elephant and in Spring 2013, as Follow Me sold out, we were thrilled to introduce our new babies, One Plus One.  In the summer of that year, as Elephant Mother and Baby approached the end of their edition, Elephant Mother and Baby II was released and in the Autumn, the delightful Playing Elephants joined the rest of the herd.

The symbolism of elephants and their use in Feng Shui

Elephants have been revered by cultures across the globe for centuries. Buddhists believe that the elephant is a symbol of mental strength. Once the mind has been trained and brought under control, it is symbolised by a white elephant that is both strong and powerful and can be directed at will, destroying all obstacles in its path. The elephant is seen as a symbol of dignity, fidelity, intelligence, longevity, success, virility and wisdom ands is a guardian of Buddhist temples and of Buddha himself.

In Thailand, the strength and hard working nature of the elephant means that it has been adopted as one of their national symbols. In many Eastern cultures throughout history, the elephant took on the symbolism of status and power as it was used to carry kings, princes and noblemen. The Chinese see it simply as a symbol of energy, strength and power.

Elephant statues and sculptures are seen in many cultures as a source of good luck and fortune, either with a raised or lowered trunk. Sally Painter, Feng Shui Practitioner explains how to place an elephant sculpture in Feng Shui Applications:

"An elephant is an auspicious symbol if you know how to place it in your home. The location is determined by what you want to activate in your life. Each area of your home governs certain aspects of your life, so when you place the symbol of the elephant in a room, it will serve to energize the chi energy associated with that area of your life.

Where to place an elephant in the home

Placing a statue of an elephant, or a pair of elephants, at the front door brings good luck, protection and strength to the household. These elephants are sometimes referred to as elephants of many blessings. Most feng shui practitioners believe that these elephants should have their trunks facing upwards as that represents prosperity, good luck and victory. Others believe that elephants with their trunks facing downward represent longevity and conception.

Another use of elephants is as guardians and protectors of the household. They help you to keep the powers that you attract and maintain inside the house. The elephants act as housekeepers as they guard the door and bar the chi energy from leaving.

Romantic love

An elephant or a pair of elephants displayed in the bedroom promotes love and faithfulness between two people. The statues can also be placed in a study or office to enhance the love between couples.

Motherly love

A statue of a mother elephant and her baby is as symbol of the love and bonding between a mother and her children and placing one in your family or children sector will make that bond stronger.

Fertility

Couples that want to have a child should place elephant statues in their bedroom, as a symbol of fertility. Often a statue or a group of seven elephants is used in the bedroom to activate chi energy for fertility since in feng shui the number seven represents children. A mother and baby elephant statue can also be used to represent fertility.

Academic success

Using elephant symbols to bring knowledge and academic success to children is yet another feng shui application for these magnificent creatures. Place a statue in your child's bedroom, on her desk or wherever she does homework.

Career

Placing a elephant statue in the North promotes career stability.

How to place your elephant sculpture

In feng shui applications, knowing how to place a feng shui elephant can mean the difference in attracting or repelling chi energy. The main rule for placing an elephant in your home is to always have the elephant facing into the room. If you place an elephant facing your front door, then the elephant's trumpeted announcement will go right back out the door and your life."