A carved and incised ivory model of an Indian elephant with shortened tusks standing on a rectangular platform raised on four turned oval feet. From the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, the region of Brahmapur or 'Berhampore' in Bengal was renowned for its ivory carving workshops. With the growing presence of the East India Company in India, sets such as this example were produced for officials working in India and for the tourist market. Ivory carving from the region was displayed during the Great Exhibition (1851), and the Illustrated London News reported on 26 April 1851 that 'it would doubtless amuse many people in England if they could see the rough and primitive tools with which such minute and beautiful work is turned out' and that an 'elephant is in constant attendance, to enable the workmen to turn out as correct representations of the noble animal as possible'.