Masterpiece – Asian Water Buffalo, calf & rider, antique carved stone, China, inscription: "this is a gift from nephew to his aunt"

拍品描述

Masterpiece – Asian Water Buffalo, calf & rider, antique carved inscribed stone, China. Inscription on the bottom 12 or more characters: the meaning is “this is a gift from nephew to his aunt”. Length: 18.5 cm = 7.25 inches Height: 14 cm = 5.4 inches Moh’s hardness: 3.0 - steatite (soap stone) Inscription on the bottom - 12 or more characters while swamp buffalo dispersed to the rest of Southeast Asia and up to the Yangtze River valley.[4][5][6] They are currently listed as endangered under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and it is estimated that there are less than 1,000 wild water buffalo remaining. These suspected wild individuals reside in small parts of India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Thailand. Threats: Habitat loss (especially to rice farming), hybridization with domestic buffalo, hunting, and diseases introduced by livestock. Although wild water buffalo can be locally common where they still persist, the world population is estimated to be fewer than 4,000 individuals and declining.

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