Sterling Silver Elephant - Large

Description:

This magnificent African Elephant, with its distinctive large ears and handsome tusks, has been hand-cast in sterling silver. Cast from 6 separate pieces of solid silver, each taken from a traditional mould using the lost wax method, a hand craftsman will then hand-chase all the details of the skin texture to emphasise the detail that cannot be seen in the casting and thereby highlight all its life-like features. Chasing is one of the oldest surviving silversmithing skills still practised today. The silversmith uses special tools to move the silver to create three-dimensional details. This is a different method from engraving, where silver is removed to make a pattern. The use of these hand skills ensures each piece is unique, as each hand stroke will be slightly different. The African Elephant featured here, depicted as though gently strolling through the African plains, stands at 17cm in height with an overall length of 25cm and weighs an impressive 2,345g of hallmarked sterling silver.