This pair of JADE Elephants was purchased by my father while serving as a US Embassy Horse Marine (calvary) in Beijing in the 1930s. Born in Gosport, England, he immigrated at 3 years old (1916) to the US with his mother and three brothers after their father, a British Royal Marine Sergeant, was killed at Gallipoli in WWI. They settled in Milwaukee. After reaching 17 years of age (1930), he joined the US Marines and went through boot camp at Paris Island, S.C. He soon became a Horse Marine. (The Marines did not use the word "cavalry"). He was transferred to Beijing as part of the US Embassy's ceremonial functions and for security. He purchased many Chinese artifacts at that time, until the Japanese invaded China. He fought through both the European and Pacific campaigns during WWII. After marrying my mother, he later served during the Korean War and spent over 30 years in the US Marines before passing away on active duty in 1960. Along with the other items, this figurine has been in our family ever since, for almost 90 years. |