Maharaja Jhula in Carved Teak - 2 Seater Swing with Elephant Base

Elephants at the base of a swing are not decoration for their own sake. In Indian court furniture the elephant is the bearer, the animal that carries what matters, and putting four of them under a jhula tells you where the weight of the piece is meant to be read as going. It is a visual argument, made in wood, that this thing is grounded.

The ivory and gold finish comes from the same court tradition. Palace interiors used pale grounds with gilded relief because the gilding catches lamplight and lifts the carving out of a room that would otherwise swallow it after sunset. In a modern home with warm lighting the effect is the same, and the swing stays visible in the evening rather than fading into the wall behind it.

Our master Indian artisans carve the elephants freehand from solid blocks, then work the diaper pattern on the columns cut by cut, which is what gives that surface its slight irregularity and its life. The whole piece is handcrafted Indian luxury in the older sense: made slowly by people who learned it from people.

Material: Solid teak throughout, including elephants, plinths, columns, crest beam and the full seat frame.

Carving: Four freehand-carved elephants at the plinth corners, layered leaf and bead mouldings on the plinths, all-over diaper carving on the columns, scrolled capital brackets, arched crest beam with pierced foliate crown, arched and crowned seat back, pierced carved side panels.

Upholstery: Deep-buttoned back, seat cushion and padded arms, made in the fabric of your choice. Send us your own material or tell us the look you want and we source it.

Construction: Freestanding two-plinth frame, so no ceiling or wall fixing is needed. Seat hung on decorative cast chains with rosette links.

Seating: Two seater as shown, and buildable wider or narrower to your room.

Finish: Shown in ivory with gilded highlights, and available in any finish you like, including plain teak tones and antique washes, with gilding optional.

Sizes: Custom sizes made to order - final measurements confirmed in writing before production.

The elephants get their own packing treatment, because trunks and tusks stand clear of the block. Each one is foam-collared around the projecting parts first, then wrapped, then boxed with rigid corner protection so nothing bears on those points at any stage of the journey.

The crest beam with its pierced crown is foam-faced on both sides of the openwork and edge-guarded along its length. Columns travel individually wrapped, with the diaper carving protected by a soft layer before any firm one goes on. The upholstered seat is bagged in breathable cover, then foam-faced over the carved frame, so nothing presses into the buttoned fabric. Chains and fittings are pouched separately.

All parts are then crated together with handling labels. Layers are used generously because a piece carved and upholstered by hand over weeks should not depend on a single wrap. Every photograph on this page is of the actual product, taken before packing - not a render.

Delivery is free across India and included in the price you see. No freight, packing or handling charges appear later, wherever in the country the piece is going.

Production starts once your sizes, fabric and finish are confirmed in writing. We give you a realistic timeline at that point and send you photographs of your own swing as the carving, the gilding and the upholstery are done.

On arrival, the piece is carried in and assembled in the room you choose: plinths positioned and levelled, columns and crest seated, chains hung and adjusted so the seat sits level, and the upholstery checked over. We guarantee dent-free arrival, and if anything is not right when it reaches you, tell us and we will fix it.

The solid teak frame and joinery of this jhula are covered for 20 years. That includes the elephants, the plinths, the columns, the crest beam and every joint that holds them together, which is where a swing does its real work, since the frame is loaded and unloaded every time someone uses it.

A lifetime warranty against termite damage runs alongside it, for as long as you own the piece. Teak keeps termites away by its own nature and we put that in writing.

Upholstery is a part you may want to change one day, and that is easy to arrange: tell us and we will re-cover the seat, back and arms in a new fabric to the same pattern, because we keep the specification of your exact piece on file. The same applies to the chains and fittings. Any work on the carving or the joinery is done by our own master Indian artisans, and we explain what it involves and how long it takes before we start.