Asian Wood Carving - Man Riding Water Buffalo

Asian Wood Carving - Man Riding Water Buffalo

7" x 6"

This is a wood carving of a man riding on a water buffalo. It appears to be carved out of one piece of wood. It is very detailed. The figure is riding side saddle with his leg folded under his other leg.

This piece was something that belonged to my mother and has been in the house for as long as I can remember. It was pretty dry, so I rubbed some beeswax on 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.