Thailand: 19th century mural of a white elephant. In Thailand, white elephants (chang phueak) are sacred and a symbol of royal power; all those discovered are presented to the king (usually this is ceremonial — they are not taken into captivity) and the more white elephants the king has, the greater his standing. The previous monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, owned 10 — considered a sign of great attainment and prestige. A white elephant in Thailand is not necessarily albino, although it must have pale skin.
In Thailand, white elephants (chang phueak) are sacred and a symbol of royal power; all those discovered are presented to the king (usually this is ceremonial — they are not taken into captivity) and the more white elephants the king has, the greater his standing. The current monarch (2011), King Bhumibol Adulyadej, owns 10 — considered a sign of great attainment and prestige. A white elephant in Thailand is not necessarily albino, although it must have pale skin. Candidate animals are assessed according to a series of physical and behavioural criteria (including eye colour, the shape of the tail and ears, and intelligence). Those that pass the tests are then assigned to one of four categories, and are offered to the king, though the lower grades are sometimes refused. In the past, lower grade white elephants were given as gifts to the king's friends and allies. The animals needed a lot of care and, being sacred, could not be put to work, so were a great financial burden on the recipient - and only the monarch and the very rich could afford them.
Size: 4555px × 3554px
Photo credit: © Pictures From History / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 19th, art, arts, asia, asian, buddhism, buddhist, century, chang, culture, elephant, elephants, fresco, frescoes, frescos, historical, history, images, making, merit, monastery, mural, murals, pachyderm, painting, paintings, phueak, pictures, royal, royalty, sacred, siam, siamese, temple, temples, thai, thailand, theravada, tradition, white
