In the audio story on military cigarette cases from the museum Collection published this past May, we previously noted the small, precious white-enamelled elephants. On military cigarette cases, they served not only as charming companions to ladybugs and hounds, but also as independent symbols in their own right. Such a miniature charm could refer to the Order of the Elephant – the highest national award of Denmark, which had also been bestowed in the Russian Empire since the 18^th century. It is one of the most unusual award insignia in the world, since order insignia are typically designed as flat jewelry compositions that sit flush against clothing. The white elephant is unique because it is crafted in the shape of a three-dimensional figure of an elephant, covered with white enamel and adorned with diamonds. On its back, the elephant carries a small battle tower, which in turn serves as the base for the attachment ring. A mahout sits in front of the tower. Legend says that during a crusade, Danish knights won a victory over the Saracens who fought on war elephants, and to honour this triumph, the Order of the Elephant was established in Denmark in 1190. However, this version has no historical confirmation: the order was officially revived only in the mid-15^th century during the reign of King Christian II. In 1623, the order became a secular court award, and in 1693, King Christian V limited its membership to the monarch, princes of the blood, and thirty knights. Since 1850, with rare exceptions, the order has been awarded only to persons of royal blood and heads of state.

In Russia, the first recipient of the Danish Order of the Elephant was His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. He received the order in 1710, but soon lost it due to a violation of the order’s statute: the rule dictated that no other insignia could coexist with the Order of the Elephant on one's clothing. Menshikov, however, concurrently attached the insignia of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called to his uniform.

Following Menshikov, the order was bestowed upon Tsar Peter I, Prince Anikita Ivanovich Repnin, the ambassador to the Danish court Vasily Lukich Dolgorukov, and the commander of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Vasily Vladimirovich Dolgorukov. In 1719, Vasily Vladimirovich Dolgorukov’s insignia had to be returned to Denmark because he was convicted in the case of Tsarevich Alexei. After the death of Peter I, Dolgorukov returned to court and was awarded the order for a second time. However, six years later, this second order was returned to Copenhagen since Vasily Vladimirovich was stripped of his rank and exiled. Ten years later, he received the Danish award for the third time – and this time, it remained with Dolgorukov until his death.

In the 19^th century, the Danish Order of the Elephant was awarded to many Grand Dukes, all Emperors of All Russia, and certain counts and barons. It was bestowed with particular frequency upon the inner circle and family members of Maria Feodorovna, born Marie Sophie Frederikke Dagmar, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark.

It is unlikely that the order recipients themselves attached miniature elephants to their military cigarette cases. There was a practice whereby officers of regiments under the patronage of the Emperor or Serene Princes could use their patron's knightly status as a distinctive feature of the regiment, turning the unusual symbol into an unofficial insignia. This is likely what happened with the miniature white elephants that took root in the Imperial Russian Army.

You can take a closer look at these tiny animals that became symbols of a major political game in the 'Snuffboxes and Сigarette Сases' section of the museum Сollection: elephants still adorn the cigarette cases.

Text by Anna Savchenkova, Art Historian. Museum Collection

On the cover: Cigarette case. Russia, Moscow. 1908-1917
Cigarette case. Russia, Moscow. 1908-1917
Cigarette case. Russia. Early 20th century