Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Hindu boy riding Akabeko

This is an illustration of a Hindu boy riding Akabeko.
Akabeko is a red (cow/ox) from a japanese legend.
According to Wikipedia, Akabeko is a real cow that lived in AD 807. At that time, a monk named Tokuichi was supervising the construction of Enzō-ji, a temple in Yanaizu. Upon the temple's completion, a red ox that had been used to haul timber to the site gave its spirit to Buddha, and its flesh immediately turned to stone. Another version of the tale claims that the cow instead refused to leave the temple grounds after construction had been completed and became a permanent fixture there.

1 comment:

Josh (musarter) said...

I really like the style and color on this piece. It is very vibrant.