The statue of buffaloes

The statue of buffaloes is a plaster bas-relief work, which was completed in 1930 by the Taiwanese sculptor Huang Tu-shui during the Japanese rule. It is regarded as an important work in the history of Taiwanese art by art history researchers such as Hsiao Chong-ray and Yen Chuan-ying (1)(2). The original work is currently archived in Zhongshan Hall, Taipei. On March 2, 2009, the Council for Cultural Affairs (now the Ministry of Culture) announced that this statue was registered as a national treasure; it is also the first work of the 20th century on the current National Treasure List.

History

Huang Tu-shui created this large-scale sculpture 555 cm wide and 250 cm high in the Ikebukuro studio in Tokyo, Japan, using bas-relief techniques. After completing this work, Huang Tu-shui died of appendicitis complicated by peritonitis on December 21 due to overwork. This work was therefore unable to participate in the Imperial Art Exhibition(1)(2).

In 1937, Huang Tu-shui's widow, Liao Chiu-kui, donated this work to the Taipei Municipal Office. Due to its huge size and fear of the plaster cracking, this work was first cut into eight pieces of plaster, which were transported back to Taiwan by Japanese ships and then re-joined. The original piece is now archived in Taipei Zhongshan Hall, where the joint marks can be visibly observed. After this work was shipped back to Taiwan, it was displayed on the central wall in front of the stairs between the second and third floors of the newly completed Taipei City Public Auditorium (6).

Composition

This work represents a peaceful scene of traditional rural areas in Taiwan in the early years. The composition shows three shepherd boys and five buffaloes under plantains.The standing position of the shepherd boys and the inclination of the bamboo pole held by the child on the left form a stable triangular composition, breaking the monotonous parallel formed by the back of the buffaloes and the ground. In the composition, the bamboo hats imply sunshine and the banana leaves imply a gentle breeze. The naked shepherd boys, the bull buffaloes, and the lush weeds on the ground imply a rural atmosphere (1)(5).