Lacquer Painting ( CHĂN TRÂU THỔI SÁO )

The Dong Ho painting “Chăn trâu thổi sáo” (Herding Buffalo and Playing the Flute) expresses the wish for “thiên thời – địa lợi – nhân hòa” (heaven’s time – earth’s favor – human harmony) to ensure consistently bountiful harvests, reflecting Vietnam’s deep connection to rice cultivation. The image of a boy sitting on the back of a buffalo, surrounded by vast greenery and the expanse of the sky and earth, symbolizes the aspiration to live in harmony with nature to achieve favorable conditions for crop growth and flourishing plants.

According to Eastern culture, the buffalo is associated with diligence, hard work, and endurance, as well as honesty and kindness. The posture of the buffalo’s head also carries different layers of meaning. A buffalo with its head raised signifies a stable and peaceful disposition, a reluctance to engage in rivalry or conflict, yet it also embodies a determined spirit to strive and achieve set goals through its own capabilities.