Asian Wood Carving - Man & Water Buffalo

Asian Wood Carving - Man & Water Buffalo

This is a wood carving of a man riding backwards on a water buffalo. It appears to be carved out of one piece of wood. It is very detailed.

Usually you see a boy but this appears to be a man because he looks bald? Possibly Chinese in origin? This originally belonged to my mother but now belongs to me. It's a piece that I've always enjoyed looking at ...it's very amusing. It's been in the house since I was a kid.

If it looks a little shiny it's because I just cleaned and waxed it.

Spirituality
Popular in many media, representations of young boys with water buffalos often have Buddhist overtones. The motif of a youth herding a water buffalo alludes to a famous eleventh- to twelfth-century cycle of parables known as the Ten Oxherding Songs. In this cycle, actions such as looking for an ox and herding it represent some of the steps in the quest for enlightenment.

Water Buffalo
At least 130 million water buffaloes exist, and more people depend on them, than any other domestic animal. They are especially suitable for tilling rice fields, and their milk is richer in fat and protein than that of dairy cattle.

The river-type water buffalo probably originated in India and was domesticated about 5,000 years ago, whereas the swamp-type originated in China and was domesticated about 4,000 years ago.