Versierde olifant before 1948

Curator: This artwork, rendered in watercolour and coloured pencil, is entitled "Versierde olifant", or "Decorated Elephant". We believe it dates from before 1948 and comes to us from the collection of Hans Borrebach. Editor: My initial response is one of whimsical amusement! There’s something wonderfully playful about how the elephant is depicted, adorned with these curious embellishments. The red cap-like structure and the shawl-like drape over its back... it gives off a comical, slightly theatrical vibe. Curator: Exactly! And if we consider this within the context of colonial depictions of animals, it's easy to draw parallels with how elephants were often presented as symbols of power and exoticism. But here, the “decoration” feels almost satirical. What do those motifs signal in terms of status, control, or even ridicule? Editor: The patterns resonate with symbols of celebration, ornamentation used across cultures. The diamond pattern overlaid on the elephant's forehead, for example, has associations with ritual markings. Curator: But look closer. The colour choices, the way the fabric drapes... I'm drawn to how the blue cloth over its back evokes almost American patriotic colours, perhaps ironically signaling an empire in decline or the illusion of its power. Editor: Yes! I was sensing that resonance as well. Elephants have been so many things, beasts of burden and agents of war. It’s compelling how it can speak to this dual understanding of its role, through how it is staged and patterned. What story is Borrebach trying to tell? Curator: Perhaps it is about cultural performance—of constructed identities on the global stage? If the "Versierde Olifant" suggests anything, it is that historical symbols become destabilized through how we use them. The "decoration" becomes a loaded act. Editor: It invites us to explore our assumptions, no? The weight of culture it’s carrying, which can feel, simultaneously celebratory and very heavy. Curator: It certainly highlights how images transform across time and purpose. Editor: Indeed. I will carry that with me as I go along the hall. Thank you.