Ox ceramic statuette - Aichi Prefecture

To celebrate the year of the ox, we have included a ceramic statuette from Aichi Prefecture. The ox is numbered second among the twelve signs of the zodiac. When Buddha organized a race to choose the twelve animals, the ox, knowing that it was slow to walk, decided to start into the darkness of the previous night. The rat, clever, climbed onto the ox’s back and jumped in front of it as it crossed the finish line, becoming the first animal in the zodiac. As a result, the ox came in second.

Since the ox is the slowest of animals, it is said that the Year of the Ox is a year that goes by slowly. It’s an important year to get things done slowly but steadily, without rushing.

Since this is the second zodiac of the twelve, it is a year to build steady foundations for the future. Do not look for concrete results during the Year of the Ox, they will come later. The Year of the Ox is a year to work hard to start the path to future success.