Untitled (Two Buffaloes)

Credit line: On loan from Professor Sum Yee Loong

Animals have been a favourite subject for Chinese craftsmen, including jade carvers, from antiquity to the present. Some species were esteemed for the important roles they played in Chinese civilization, such as buffaloes for agriculture and horses for warfare.

The water buffalo in Chinese culture symbolises spring and prosperity because of the important role it played in traditional agriculture. Its role in pulling ploughs also represents obedience, strength and tranquillity. Its arcadian nature is also commensurate with the philosophy of the scholar literati in pursuing of a simple and reclusive life.