Tra Kieu Style. 43 cm.

The elephant, broken leg, was treated in a manner that is both realistic (shape of the skull, frontal bossing, proportions, etc..) And with a certain tenderness, as is most often the case for elephants cham, which is still unclear what their role in the temples.
No crown, the trunk tilt on his left foot left anterior probably slightly lifted, the animal has the characteristic tilt their head sideways. This position is very rare. Now is the head position (right, or lifted, or tilted forward) which would classify the elephant Cham period.
Thus, if in all this elephant of 43 cm high has the other characteristics of the style of Tra Kieu (expression of movement, naturalism), he also shows some originality found in the shape of the head particular.

(Bibl..: Guillevic 1981: 60, p. 97; Fris Larrouy 1997:24, fig. 8).

"The Art of Tra Kieu Georges Labit Museum of Toulouse Emmanuel Guillon
Article de "La Lettre de la SACHA" n°2, décember 1997, page 6.