Royal Armouries armoured elephant stuffed toy

Introducing our brand new Armoured Elephant soft toy; exclusive to the Royal Armouries. This cuddly toy is a detailed 12" tall replica of the magnificent Armoured Elephant displayed in the Royal Armouries Museum.

The elephant armour (bargustavan-i-pil) dates back to around 1600 and was brought from India by Lady Clive, wife of Edward, 2nd Lord Clive (Governor of Madras), to England in 1801. It is said to be the largest animal armor found on display in any museum. Now-endangered, Asian elephants were first used on the battlefield in India, and famously in the 326 BC Battle of the Hydaspes between Alexander the Great and India’s King Porus in modern-day Pakistan.

There were many military purposes for which elephants could be used. In battle, war elephants were usually deployed in the centre of the line, where they could be useful to prevent a charge or to conduct one of their own. Their sheer size and their terrifying appearance made them valued heavy cavalry. Off the battlefield, they could carry heavy materiel and provided a useful means of transport before mechanized vehicles rendered them mostly obsolete

This curator approved soft toy may be an ever so slightly smaller version of the real thing… but it makes a cuddly companion for all ages.