Royal Beasts (5) - 21 June 2014

This elephant sculpture is part of the installation 'Royal Beasts' by Kendra Haste which celebrates the history of the Royal Menagerie at the Tower of London. Hundreds of years ago, it was not unusual for rulers (around the world) to receive gifts of exotic animals. Those kept at the Tower from the early 13th century for around 600 years included lions, baboons, an elephant and even a polar bear.

The exhibition, planned to last 10 years from 2011, drew some criticism on its introduction for its apparent lack of visible credit for the sculptor or explanation of the new arrivals. I was certainly puzzled until I did my research online. An exception is this elephant whose worryingly cramped accommodation has a notice attached which appears to record a gift in 1255 to King Henry III of England from King Louis IX of France and the order by the English king to 'make a building without delay at the Tower for the King's Elephant, 40 feet long and 20 feet wide'.

One would imagine that not many people in mid-13th century London had previously seen an elephant.

200_P1040092