Thai Carved Hardwood Howdah Chair. The shaped back with an inset panel carved with a Thai seated deity, with curved arms, centering a plank seat with loose cushion, on curved supports, carved allover with stylized foliage and scrolls. 

Size: 32 1/2 x 22 1/2 x 37 In. 

A howdah (also known as a hathi howdah), derived from the Arabic hawdaj (which means “bed carried by a camel”), is a carriage or seat positioned on the back of an elephant. It was used most often in the past to carry wealthy people during progresses or processions, and at other times for hunting or in warfare. It was also a symbol of wealth for the owner and as a result was usually elaborately decorated, even with expensive gemstones. Made primarily of wood and often displaying nature symbols and elephant imagery, they can be both pure functional or specifically ornamental. Notable howdahs are the Golden Howdah, on display at the Napier Museum at Thiruvananthapuram, which was used by the Maharaja of Travancore. The Mehrangarh Fort Museum in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, has a gallery of royal howdahs. Today, howdahs are used mainly for tourist or commercial purposes in South East Asia, although evidence shows that howdahs can cause permanent damage to an elephant’s spine, lungs, and other organs, significantly shortening the animal’s life. This has led to them becoming purely decorative when purchased outside the Deccan plateau.