Released 2010-06-05

African Elephant, Loxodonta africana

An elephant with its trunk raised has for decades been considered a symbol of good luck in the United States and the United Kingdom. Though definitive accounts of how this symbolism came to be are elusive, it is generally believed that it was the result of an interesting confluence of cultures. In India (once ruled by Britain), the elephant-headed deity Ganesha symbolizes good luck, compassion, and "opening of the way." As knowledge of Indian culture and belief systems spread thoughout Europe and the New World, elephants themselves came to be equated with good luck. Irish beliefs about lucky horseshoes then came to bear: horseshoes must be pointing up, or the luck will "run out." Thus, it is speculated, the lucky elephant must have its trunk raised in order to hold the luck.

This is a limited edition photograph with a total of 500 photos printed across all sizes, as noted