Reclining Water Buffalo (1642–1722): Art, History and Details

Reclining Water Buffalo (1642–1722) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

In the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties, luxury items became more affordable to larger parts of the society, including women, merchants, and literati in non-official positions. Imperial patronage and a growing urban population encouraged consumption of luxury goods and local craftmanship. This jade buffalo illustrates the superb carving skills and the creative mind of its accomplished creator, who sought clients on a competitive market.

Object facts

• Title: Reclining Water Buffalo
• Date: 1642–1722
• Culture: China, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Kangxi reign (1642-1722)
• Type: Jade
• Technique: Jade
• Dimensions: Overall: 6.2 x 7.7 cm (2 7/16 x 3 1/16 in.)
• Collection: China - Qing Dynasty
• Department: Chinese Art
• Accession number: 1962.223

A detail from the museum

This jade buffalo may have been used as a paperweight on a scholar's desk.

Collection credit

Gift of Mrs. John Lyon Collyer in memory of her mother, Mrs. G. M. G. Forman

Further reading listed by the museum

• Lee, Sherman E. “Year in Review 1962.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 49, no. 9, 1962, pp. 199–227.
• Michigan Oriental Art Society, and Cranbrook Institute of Science. Chinese Jades, the Great Tradition: Exhibition Sponsored Jointly by Michigan Oriental Art Society and Cranbrook Institute of Science at Cranbrook Institute of Science ... Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. [Michigan]: The Society, 1977.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.