H. E. [His Excellency] The Viceroy's Elephant

This unusual howdah, with its large scroll-shaped feet, had been in use for some decades before it carried the viceroy in the 1902–1903 processions. It can be seen in other photographs and drawings made in the 1850s and 1860s. The howdah's front panel is flanked by female European figures in flowing garments—perhaps representations of Britannia—and surmounted by an imperial crown. The side bears the British royal coat of arms.