Siam (Thailand): a white elephant of the King. Photograph by John Thomson, 1865.

One of twelve white elephants belonging to King Mongkut. The "white" elephants are really reddish-brown with pale eyelashes and toenails. Male white elephants were regarded with high esteem and were adorned with elaborate costumes. The photograph shows the mahout, wearing a distinctive conical hat, training the elephant to kneel; he is using an elephant control stick with a hook (an ankusa). A boy stands by the head of the elephant, several other elephant carers sit on the right with ropes and a parasol, and a large group of onlookers sit on the left. The walls of the Grand Palace are seen behind. For further details see Paisarn Piemmettawat, loc. cit.