Marble buffaloes
| Accession No. | R014451_1、R014451_2 |
|---|---|
| Period | Shang Dynasty |
| Material | Stone |
| Findspot | Royal Tomb No. 1500 Hsi-pei-kang, Yin-xu Site |
| Geographic Location | Hou-Chia-Chuang village, Anyang, Honan province, China |
| Dimension | H.13.9 cm; L.28.3 cm; W.11.7 cm; H.12.8 cm; L.28.2 cm; W.12. |
Description
The pair of buffalo sculptures were discovered on the south ramp of Tomb No. 1500, along with dragons and tigers in pairs. They were arranged in an orderly fashion with the largest dragons at the front, the buffaloes in the middle, and the smallest tigers at the end, and were untouched by looters. With a rectangular overall shape, the buffaloes are carved in a crouching position, with their teeth gnashing. The buffalo has engraved “臣” character shaped eyes and a nose with two short, curved lines. A pair of incurving horns with simple decorations rest behind the eyes; below that sits a pair of drop shaped ears. The body of the buffalo is plain, only with vague lines drawing the shape of the limbs. A tail rests on the raising buttocks of the buffalo. Grooves portraying the legs can be seen on the bottom side of the sculpture.