“VI.15.5 Pompeii. Clay figurine of an elephant carrying a tower on its back, 0.35m high incl. base. The figurine served as a vessel for liquid. The liquid was put in through the top of the tower, which was open. See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità,1897, p.25, fig. 3. It was found in October 1895 in or near the garden niche, together with a group of other objects. See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità,1895, p. 438. According to Jashemski, this was also a jug, and was now in the Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 124845, Ruesch 442. See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.155)” – quoted from Pompeii in Pictures
That’s fascinating. I have never seen anything like it. You have a tower with a Macedonian shield emblem (lots of study of those, as arch. decoration like that, specifically), but standing for what? Tower as an entire city? Maybe not necessarily. Makes me re-think the elephant as a symbol in that world for sure.