Boy with Water Buffalo
清玉雕牧童与水牛
A pale-celadon nephrite carving of a small boy reclining on the back of a docile water buffalo. The motif draws on the Chan Buddhist parable of the herder taming the bull, and on the broader Confucian ideal of pastoral simplicity.
Object Facts
- Period
- Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
- Date
- 18th century
- Medium
- Nephrite jade
- Dimensions
- H. 13.2 cm; W. 10.6 cm; L. 18.5 cm
- Held by
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York, USA - Accession
- 02.18.438
Gift of Heber R. Bishop, 1902
Why it matters
Eighteenth-century Qing jade carving turned almost any motif into a vehicle for technical bravura — note how the carver has used the slight color variation of the original boulder to differentiate the boy from the beast. A miniature masterpiece of subtractive sculpture.
How it travelled
Like the Qianlong jade basin above, this came to the Met as part of the Heber Bishop bequest in 1902 — assembled in Beijing in the 1890s when imperial-quality jades were entering the international market.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I see Boy with Water Buffalo?+
Boy with Water Buffalo is held by the The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA. Accession number 02.18.438. Online catalogue record: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/41918.
When was Boy with Water Buffalo created?+
Boy with Water Buffalo dates to 18th century, during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911).
What is Boy with Water Buffalo made of?+
Boy with Water Buffalo is a figurine executed in nephrite jade, measuring H. 13.2 cm; W. 10.6 cm; L. 18.5 cm.
How did Boy with Water Buffalo end up at the The Met?+
Like the Qianlong jade basin above, this came to the Met as part of the Heber Bishop bequest in 1902 — assembled in Beijing in the 1890s when imperial-quality jades were entering the international market.
Can I reuse the photograph of Boy with Water Buffalo?+
Yes. The The Met has released the image under Creative Commons Zero (CC0), so it is free for any use, commercial or non-commercial, with no attribution required (though attribution is appreciated).
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