This little fellow is from the estate of a local family who loved to travel and brought back ornaments from around the world for many years.  He is depicted sitting on his haunches, is about 3 1/2 inches tall, and is topped with a fancy hanger joint. The lovey gold finish has retained its beautiful glow overall, but there is some paint loss around one eye. See the photos.  Interestingly, it turns out that golden elephants have many different meanings depending on the culture. There is considerable religious veneration of elephants throughout Asia and Africa and they are often portrayed in gold. Many cultures assign an auspicious character to a golden elephant. TMI: There is a an award called the Golden Elephant which is given for the best new board game each year. And of course, there is its analog to the golden shower in some subcultures.

Golden Elephant