这件青铜铸造的牛屈驶而卧,体态健壮,比例匀称·造型逼真·个体硕大。铜牛中空,外表通体婆金。制作时需要将冶炼、模具雕塑·浇铸、抛光和姿金等工艺集于一体,反映出西夏青铜铸造工艺的高超水平,是西夏艺术品中的珍品。
This bronze cow is bent and lies down. It has a strong body, well proportioned, lifelike shape and huge individual. The bronze bull is hollow and has a golden appearance. It needs to integrate smelting, mold sculpture, casting, polishing and Zijin to reflect the high level of casting technology of Xixia bronze, which is a treasure of Xixia art.
如此精美"牛造型"工艺品,说明了牛在西夏有比较重要的地位。西夏所属的河套地区和河西、河外十三个州“地饶五谷,尤宜稻麦"。灵州则很早以来就引黄河水而修建了奏家、汉延、唐株诸渠。在西夏元吴时期又修筑了“昊王渠”。西夏所实行的广薛农田、兴修水利的措施,极大的促进了灌溉农业的发展。敦煌榆林窟壁画中的西夏农耕图中就有和中原地区一样的"二牛抬杠"犁地场景。牛耕对发展西夏农业经济起了很大的作用。
Such exquisite "cattle modeling" crafts show that cattle play an important role in Xixia. The Hetao area of Xixia and the thirteen states of Hexi and beyond "have five grains, especially rice and wheat.". Lingzhou has built many canals, such as zojia, Hanyan and Zhuzhu in the Tang Dynasty, for drawing water from the Yellow River for a long time. In the Western Xia, yuan and Wu dynasties, the "Haowang canal" was built. The measures of Guangxue farmland and water conservancy in Xixia greatly promoted the development of irrigation agriculture. In the farming map of Xixia in the murals of Yulin Grottoes in Dunhuang, there is the same scene of "two oxen raising the bar" plowing as in the Central Plains. Cattle farming played a very important role in the development of agricultural economy in Xixia.