Beyond Nandin: Iconography of Humped and Non-Humped Bovines on Oc Eo Gold Plaques

The iconography of bovines on gold plaques from the Oc Eo culture in the Mekong Delta (1st–7th centuries CE) has predominantly been interpreted through the lens of Indianization, with most depictions identified as Nandin, the sacred bull and vāhana of Shiva. However, this monolithic interpretation overlooks the morphological distinction between humped and non-humped bovines portrayed on these artifacts. This paper focuses on the bovine imagery on Oc Eo gold plaques, specifically examining the differences between these two types. Of the 503 gold plaques analyzed, 62 feature bovine figures, comprising 26 depictions of humped bovines and 36 of non-humped bovines. These two iconographic types exhibit distinct geographical distributions and do not co-occur on the same artifact. The research findings suggest that while the humped cattle are closely associated with the religious identity of Nandin, the non-humped cattle likely represent a different system of meaning, possibly related to the local fauna of the natural environment or distinct ritualistic functions. Therefore, the parallel presence of both bovine types indicates a complex symbolic system in which imported religious concepts coexisted and interacted with indigenous natural and social values.