Recumbant Water Buffalo

Ox (water buffalo), recumbent. The pose of this buffalo, with legs folded in under the body and head turned to the side, is typical of the northern nomad style and may be influenced by the Northern art. The decor is executed in broad bands in flat relief on a ground of spirals unobtrusive in comparison with the bold spirals emphasizing the shoulders and hind quarters of the beast. This decor of broad bands in spiral form is reminiscent, in its use of tufts, of earlier dragon decor. The slanting figures the hind legs and the chest recall those on the famous tigers in the Freer gallery. The holes in the back of the buffalo indicate that the piece had some practical use, as yet undetermined. Patina green