Carved from a piece of gilded buffalo hide, a mother elephant and her calf are draped with intricate coverings as they stand under a pavilion. While it looks simple, the leather is pierced with tools to create the image which allows light to pass through to form shadowed silhouettes. This fabulous piece measures 14.5 inches high by 11.5 inches wide and took at least 20,000 piercings to complete. Each of the tiles on the roof required 8-10 piercings. Each of the patterned squares on the back of elephant has 12. Detailed work like this is no longer attempted due to the incredible labor required. Mid 20th century. Framed 25 x 18.5 inches, Puppet 18.5 x 15 inches