This lantern with a name from the animal kingdom has been in my collection for many years, but somehow I neglected to post it here. It is a very well made lamp from China or India. Pretty much all the parts are marked with Lucky Elephant or the symbol of an elephant. When I think of elephants, I think of India rather than China. Perhaps the riddle will be solved.
I see that Neil McRae (@Mackburner) is also uncertain of its provenance in the Pressure Lamp Catalogue. Cheers Tony
If I was a gambler I would say Indian, mainly due to the style of the lettering/symbols on the blanket and the filled basket. The Chinese do make a thing of lucky elephants as well, but if you compare images you can see subtle differences.
There are also elephants in Sumatra and Borneo. Doesn't the lamp look like a butterfly made in Indonesia ?
Elephants can be found in many parts of Asia. India, Southeast Asia, i.e., Malaysia, Java, Sumatra, Borneo,.. IndoChina regions, i.e., Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand.. No idea where would the origin of this lantern be. Looks similar to a lot of the Petromax clones. By the way, the Penguin lantern does not appear to originate from anywhere the birds are usually found..
Many thanks for the information on the origin of the lamp. I am always pleased to learn about the concentrated expertise here! I found @MYN 's advice very amusing and insightful, thank you .
