Image: Lynn Fawcett
Image: Lynn Fawcett

This is the noun ox. It shares a common root with the Chinese character niú 牛. The symbol is based on the constellation of Taurus. It is comprised of the body, forelegs, head and horns of a bull.


Illustrative Text Reference:

Harappa: Tablet in bas-relief: H-1837 A: Asko Parpola, B. M. Pande, and Petteri Koskikallio, 2010: Corpus of Indus Seals and Inscriptions: Volume 3,1: Page 258: New material, untraced objects, and collections outside India and Pakistan: Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia.

Comment:

Taurus was associated with the vernal equinox in the Bronze Age. Therefore, inscription H-1837 refers to springtime.


Image Credit:

Ox: Lynn Fawcett, 2019.