Air India

 

Back in the sixties, flying was so much more than a means of travel. It was a privilege enjoyed by the swish set, who were treated to on-board amenities sourced from luxury brands, wined and dined on in-flight gourmet meals, and were served by cabin crew decked in designer wear. 

*Salvador Dali* was arguably the most famous artist in the world. Primarily a painter, his artistic repertoire, which ranged from the bizarre to the controversial, included sculpture, graphic arts, design, architecture, film and photography.

In *1967*, when *Air India* executives met at an upscale hotel in New York, the entourage ran into Salvador Dali. They invited him over and requested the Spanish surrealist to create something for Air India that they could gift as a souvenir to a select few of their most valued clientele. Air India was a formidable art connoisseur and owned an enviable collection from across the world.

Dali agreed to design a limited-edition ashtray, the first time an artist of his stature had been commissioned to design an object d’art for an airline. He promised Air India a unique *‘Double Imagery’ design*. 

And unique it was! Made of *white unglazed porcelain, the body of the ashtray was like the outer cover of a shell. It was draped by a serpent and stood on three legs, on one side was a swan flanked on each side by an elephant head.*

The Swan-Elephant ashtray was a brilliant testament to Dali’s genius, where the textures and shapes of the elephant would morph into those of the swan and vice-versa when viewed from different angles. Thus, the inverted swan transformed into an elephant and the elephant head, when upturned, became a swan.

When Air India asked Dali to name his fee, *he simply asked for an elephant!*

* A real ELEPHANT !* To the utterly bewildered Air India officials, he said, ‘I want to keep it in my olive grove and watch the patterns of shadows the moonlight makes through the twigs on his back,’

The airline executives thought he was joking but Dali was dead serious.

The deal was struck, and in one of the most outlandish exchanges in art history, a two-year-old elephant was flown across from Bangalore to Geneva by Air India. The elephant was accompanied by a mahout (keeper). The baby jumbo was boarded on a special truck for the journey to Cadaques and delivered to Dali’s residence. 

The elephant was walked up to a glass stage, while the town’s folks celebrated and sang and danced, which continued for the three-day carnival declared by the mayor.

At least 800 of the ashtray art-pieces was crafted by French porcelain maker Teissonniere-Limoges with Dali’s design. They were gifted to Air India’s valued patrons, including Prince Juan Carlos (later crowned King of Spain in 1975). 

*Indeed a piece of Air India’s glorious history!*