Thai water buffalo vessel, c. 1000 BCE

Thai ceremonial vessel, c. 1000 BCE, now in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. From its description on artsmia.org: 'This extraordinary ceremonial vessel, one of a group, was discovered in the Lopburi–Pa Sak basin in central Thailand. The oldest settlements in this region date back over three thousand years and have yielded several important Neolithic objects. While a few ceramic depictions of animals in Neolithic and Bronze Age Thailand are known, this water buffalo, which stands as the centerpiece of the group, exhibits an originality, creativity, and superb workmanship that has no comparison in early Thai ceramic art. It is also the largest pottery buffalo known from this