The Story Behind Our French Art Deco Bronze Elephants

When a pair of objects survives together for nearly a century, there is something quietly remarkable about that. These two bronze elephants — cast in France sometime in the 1920s or 1930s — have faced each other across the same marble bases for generations. They arrived together, and they leave together.

A Symbol of Good Fortune

In many European and Asian traditions, an elephant with its trunk raised is considered a powerful symbol of good luck, strength, and wisdom. The Art Deco period embraced this motif enthusiastically — exotic animals were fashionable, and the elephant, with its associations with ancient civilisations and faraway lands, was a favourite subject for sculptors and decorators alike.

These bookends capture that spirit perfectly. Each elephant is depicted mid-gesture, trunk curling upward with energy and optimism — a posture that feels almost celebratory.

The Craft Behind the Bronze

French bronze casting of the Art Deco era was among the finest in the world. Workshops in Paris and across France produced decorative bronzes of exceptional quality, often working from original sculptors' models. The warm, golden-brown patina on these elephants is entirely original — built up over decades of handling and display, it cannot be replicated artificially.

Each figure is mounted on a travertine marble base, a material prized for its warm, creamy tones and subtle veining. The original hardware on the underside of the bases confirms their age and authenticity.

Finding Them a New Home

At Alexa Finds Switzerland, we seek out objects that carry genuine history — pieces that have lived in real homes, been admired by real people, and survived the passage of time with their character intact. These elephant bookends are exactly that kind of find.

They would be equally at home flanking a row of art books on a library shelf, anchoring a console table in an entrance hall, or displayed simply as sculptural objects in their own right.

If you are drawn to them, we suspect you already know where they belong.