Image of an African elephant

Statue of an African elephant by Albéric Collin and displayed opposite the entrance of the Royal Museum for Central Africa.

The image of the African elephant is, continuing on the signature, a realization of Albéric Collin (1886-1962); it was sponsored by the Côte d'Or chocolate factory for the 1935 World's Fair in Brussels. The statue was set up in front of the 'Pavillon du Congo Belge' by architect René Schoentjes, as a reference to Belgium's colonial past. The designer Albéric Collin (1886-1962) is best known for his expressive, realistic animal sculptures.

Frans Olbrechts, then director of the Royal Museum for Central Africa, ensured that the artwork was transferred to Tervuren in 1938. It was placed on an iron sandstone plinth opposite the museum. In 2005, the statue was restored and provided with a protective layer.

The white-painted reinforced concrete statue depicts an elephant with its trunk raised and on its back three African warriors, one of whom is a spear-bearer.

De Gordel 2025