Featured asian water buffalo or bull with wings

Very. I think researching the creature, like you already did with the Pixiu, will give you more of a chance to find it. Mainland Asia, Europe and Latin America are all parts of the world with horned beasts.
I was thinking about the scales (feathers?) on the body of your as yet nameless animal. They are just indicated by simple thin lines. Scales and feathers on painted Balinese carvings all have colour grading and are usually carved as well. You can see it on the wings of the Garuda. Here is a Balinese serpent-shaped keris stand, again, the scales are carved and have graded colours:

 

John's goat-like creature is probably older than the modern carvings. When I was on Bali in the early 70s, all carvings had tradional themes.
Mass tourism only started in the 70s, that's when a lot started to go downhill in Balinese arts and crafts, although there are still some very good artists.

 

Yes, I too would date the Balinese mass-market export carvings to 1970 and later.
I'm wondering if the removable ring, and the hole in that area, might be clues as to how it was attached, or to what. I can imagine a dowel going in the hole, for example, but the removable ring doesn't make a lot of sense in that context.

 

Very nicely put and interesting information! Think i've seen those before.
In this case finally one animal less

 

I'll keep looking. Did get a whole new view of this item through everybody's imput. So even if no definite answer, very helpful indeed! Thx everybody

 

I was also thinking of dowel hole. But you are right, why would the ring be seperate and not carved from same piece of wood?

 

Here's a wild idea: a topper or finial for a decorative umbrella.
The umbrella-stick goes in the hole, and the ring holds the umbrella fabric in place. Kind of like this, but with a goat on top. Or not.

 

Sooo...that's where all my riches have been going...eh ???

I don't rightly know what this thing is ....but I know it's a superb carving with enough size that it must have been displayed prominintly ...promanintly...prominantly..........ahhh...whatever......

 

Terrible language, isn't it. I once proposed Dutch as our forum language (because of the English Transatlantic divide), but that would probably land you in even more trouble. So prominently English is how it will stay.

I agree, it is very well carved and deserves pride of place.

 

I was also thinking of some kind of finial, but horizontally placed instead of vertically. A bit like a gargoyle, which it obviously isn't, but this kind of idea:


Or like a roof finial, this is a Thai one. But it would be a pity to have the goat/dog out in the rain:


Here is a British one (nice dragon):


Lom stave church, Norway:


The gorgeous angel roof of the church of St Peter Mancroft in Norwich, this one is inside:


Here is another roof angel:

From http://www.angelroofs.com/gallery-3 , worth a look.

 

From a very long list, I'm afraid, but keep going. If I come across it, I will let you know. You usually find the answer when you're researching something else.

I like the fact that you bought it as a kid.
The Garuda was the first real work of art I bought, at age 14. It was part of the shop furniture really, had been sitting on top of a tall display case for ca 20 yrs (in Sydney, Aus, not in NL). I was the first to inquire about it, no one had even noticed it. The lady had to think about a price, and after a while I had saved enough to buy it. It moved everywhere I did, even to my student digs.

 

Yes, to have that kind of personal story attached to a (nice!) object gives it so much more emotional value.

 

What a great idea!
Although it might be detrimental to the amount of response i guess

 

So true, that's why most searches take so much time. I keep getting sidetracked

 

beautiful roofs by the way

 

I wondered if the animal on this chalk box i bought in Myanmar might be this pixiu, talked about in this thread before? Because of its upturned tail. (Sorry, difficult to make clear picture)

 

Could be. Can you put it on its base and take a picture of the top? If you are worried about the lack of definition in the repoussé, you can photograph it with light from the side, so you get shadows.

 

now much clear pic I don't remeber/can't find how to rotate it.

 

Here ya go!!!

View attachment 115847

 

it looks to be a manticore of some sort


face and head is somewhat feline if i had to guess. buffalo face is way skinnier and squared.