 |
||
    |
||
    
|
8. VERY RARE LARGE BRONZE FIGURE OF A BRAHMIN BULL
|
The recumbent animal is hollow cast with a naturalistic hump behind the neck articulated with folds of skin and a prominent dewlap on its chest. The contours of the musculature are well defined; the entire surface is covered in a variegated olive-brown patina. This animal possibly served as a talisman against floods, a custom that was prevalent in flood prone areas of ancient China. The absence of limbs and the patina suggests it was placed in the open near or on water. The form of this animal is closely related to the Hindu or Brahmin bull, Nandi. With the introduction of Indian Buddhism to China, pottery models of this type became common from the Six Dynasties through to the Sui and Tang Dynasties. However, large scaled bronzes are exceedingly rare; the present example appears to be unique. The nearest comparison, an animal with longer horns and without a pronounced hump, but otherwise very similar sculptural qualities, is another hollow-cast gilt-bronze bull from the Western Xia Dynasty (1032-1234), published in The Tombs of Western Xia, Ningxia Cultural Relics Management Committee, col. pl., and again in Zhongguo Wenwu Jinghua Da Cidian, Bronze Edition, p. 373, no. 1335. This has clearly defined limbs and the even edges suggest it was designed to rest on a flat surface, whereas the current example has irregular sides which indicates the likelihood that it was placed on rocky terrain. Compare with two other Tang examples, one in pottery, another in stone, published in Zhongguo Meishu Quanji, Sculpture, vol. 4, Sui and Tang, col. pl. 200 and 201. The use of the bull as a talisman against floods was an ancient practice in disaster prone areas of the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. The best known example in situ today is the large bronze bull that sits on the shore of the lakes at the Summer Palace in Beijing Cast in 1755, the eighty-character inscription by Emperor Qianlong in archaic script describes its use for this specific purpose. The dating of the present bronze is based on its stylistic affinity to Tang stone and pottery versions of the Brahmin bull. The representation of this animal type was discontinued in sculpture by the following Song Dynasty, supplanted by the native Chinese ox and water buffalo in bronze, jade and stone. |
