A VERY LARGE BAMBOO CARVING OF A RECUMBENT WATER BUFFALO

18th/19th century

Footnotes

十八/十九世紀 竹雕臥牛擺件

Provenance: Purchased from Hugh Moss, 1976 (collector's notes)

來源： 1976年購於Hugh Moss（藏家筆記）

The water buffalo (水牛) is a symbol of agrarian life, perseverance, and harmony with nature in Chinese art. It embodies the virtues of patience and hard work, reflecting the ideal of a simple, contented life. In Daoist and Chan (Zen) Buddhist traditions, the buffalo also represents the human mind in the quest for enlightenment, as seen in the 'Ten Ox-Herding Pictures' (十牛圖). Its presence in paintings and ceramics often conveys themes of rural tranquillity and the harmony between man and nature.

The buffalo in the present lot is depicted with a powerful, well-proportioned body, its legs neatly tucked beneath as it rests. The muscles are rendered with strength and precision, capturing a sense of natural vitality. Executed with exceptional craftsmanship, the carving showcases masterful knife work, achieving a form that is both elegantly simple and remarkably lifelike. This piece brings a sense of rustic charm to the scholar's desk, evoking the tranquillity of the countryside.

See an earlier bamboo ox and mythical beast, early Qing dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, p.57, no.52. See also a related 'boy and buffalo' bamboo carving and a rosewood one of the same theme, Qing dynasty, both in the collection of the Anhui Province Museum, illustrated by Jin Weinuo, Complete Works of Chinese Art: Bamboo, Bone, Ivory, Horn and Enamel (中國美術全集：竹木骨牙角雕琺瑯器), Hefei, 2010, p.58 and p.107. See also another similar bamboo buffalo, but with a boy atop, Qing dynasty, in the Denver Art Museum, illustrated by Ip Yee and L.C.S.Tam, Chinese Bamboo Carving, vol.I, Hong Kong, 1978, pp.524-525, pl.192.