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A CHINESE BRONZE 'LAOZI AND BUFFALO' GROUP MING DYNASTY The Daoist sage wears flowing robes and holds a scroll in his left hand, sitting on the back of a recumbent water buffalo, the metal with a brownish-black patina and traces of malachite encrustations, together with a wood stand, 1.2kg, 19cm. (2) Provenance: from an English private collection, Sussex. Laozi is a semi-legendary philosopher and is regarded as the founder of Daoism. According to legend Laozi became disillusioned with the corruptness at the Zhou dynasty court and abandoned his position there as a record keeper. He rode away on a water buffalo to the West, only to be recognised by a border official at the Hangu Pass who asked him to write down his wisdom. It is believed that what he wrote became the Daodejing , the sacred text of Daoism. 明 銅老子騎牛像 來源：英國薩克塞斯郡私人收藏。
wiltshire, United Kingdom
