CHINA, QING DYNASTY, FIRST HALF OF 18TH CENTURY

The Asiatic ox or water buffalo has traditionally been greatly prized in China. They are one of the twelve zodiac animals representing Chou, the second of the twelve branches of the Chinese calendrical system. Buffalo are associated with strength, prosperity and tranquillity in China, in part because of their role in farming and the production of food. The romanticised view of the buffalo had resonance for Chan Buddhists and Daoists alike, suggesting retreat into a tranquil rural life, away from the cities and the responsibilities of public office. The buffalo is also associated with the Daoist immortal Laozi, who is often depicted in paintings riding a buffalo. One of a pair of oxen is illustrated in The George Eumorfopoulos Collection Catalogue, R.L. Hobson, London 1925-1928, fig. 214, pl. 39, p. 31. A yellow-glazed porcelain ox from the Ann and Gordon Getty Collection sold at Christie's New York, 23 October 2022, lot 597.