India - Radjastan – Khuri village on the border of Pakistan

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Le lac Titicaca est une véritable mer continentale. Les animaux domestiques n'hésitent pas à entrer dans l'eau pour se nourrir des plantes aquatiques qui sont très riches en protéines. - 1969

A farmer crosses the Río San José in central Guatemala with his cows. - 1977

63 - Arakao (Aïr). - A cow (note the udders) in the same style. From the base of the tail to the tips of the horns: 0.94 meters in length.

93 - Enneri Blaka. Site 1. - Very beautiful cow from the bovine period. Bicolored, like the Deer-Robert from photo 91. The udders are clearly outlined. Although this piece is on the right, it is on the same line as the previous frieze, making it difficult to associate them in the same style. From the snout to the base of the tail: 0.295 m.

115 - Enneri Blaka. Site 10. - Paintings from the "round heads" period (?). At the top, two cows with calves, in white. Below, three unidentifiable quadrupeds, one in red ochre, the other in white. The depicted panel is 0.75 m wide.

134 - Confluent Blaka-Domo. Site 12. - Bubaline Era. Beautiful cow engraved. The color differences in the coat are represented by lines separating the areas.

163 - Oued Mathendous. ln Habeter III. - The "sad cow" (!), anatomically correct, with well-marked nostrils.

213 - Tadrart Acacous. Ouan Amil. – A deep familiarity of our bovids with their cattle leads to highly precise painted representations, such as this moving cow with a bicolored coat. Horns on the back leg: 0.33 m.

214 - Tadrart Acacous. Ouan Amil. – In the same style as the previous cow, a standing cow in front of another lying one. Above, a third with a “pack” on its back. The coat’s colors are rendered in red and white areas. From the muzzle of the lying cow to the muzzle of the standing cow: 0.47 m.

221 - Tadrart Acacous. Tin-Achigh. – Pastoral scene. A herd of bovids is followed by a shepherd in the style of Ouan Amil, holding a long staff in one hand, while the other rests on the waist. A difference in style can be noted between the animals depicted, indicating they are not from the same era. Width of the panel: 0.65 m.

317 - Bou Ediane (Tadrart, Shelter). - Antelope painted in red and white. Below, a very thin cow, with its udders clearly highlighted. From the front legs to the back legs: 0.60 m.

429 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – The "Jabbaren cow," easily identifiable by its udder and morphology. The poor perspective shows a single horn projected too far forward. It is also possible the artist intended to depict an animal with just one horn. The line across the belly is not from the time of the painting. Perhaps the necklace also doesn’t belong to the same era. The body of the animal, outlined with a fine red ochre line, is particularly beautiful. From the front horn to the end of the tail: 0.32 m.

454 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A very beautiful depiction of cows painted in dark ochre brown. Panel height: 0.87 m.

455 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – A splendid painted document that gives the exact vision of the shepherds responsible for the herds. The horns are exactly those still seen today in some regions of East Africa. Such a work deserves to be listed in the world heritage inventory. One must be grateful to the Algerian authorities for having restricted access to it. The polychrome tones enhance the high quality of the drawing. Panel represented: 0.82 m in width.

466 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Large, two-colored cow with white horns. It is depicted on a shelter wall. From the rear hoof to the front horn alignment: 0.21 m.

468 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Large painted cow. Behind it, a character appearing obese. In fact, obesity, like pregnant women, is almost never depicted. Panel depicted: 0.57 m in width.

470 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Three cows with polychrome coats. One has a green and white coat. The green is probably obtained by mixing yellow ochre and manganese blue. Width of the depicted panel: 0.57 m.

504 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Pastoral scene painted in ochre with remarkable precision. Some of the bovids are cows. One of the animals, in the center at the top, is ridden by a couple, one of whom, located at the front, is holding an unidentified object. The stick wrapped with a strap along its entire length is placed across the horns. In the top-right corner, a greyhound with a long snout, fast runner's legs, and a narrow pelvis is sniffing the ground. The archer below holds both his bow and two arrows, which is a well-observed gesture. It is also noted that he wears a loincloth.

543 - Tan-Zoumaïtak (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Facing the previous shelter, on rocks, there are other testimonies from the Pastoral Period. The cow on the right is remarkable for the precision of its udder. Length of this cow: 0.30 m.

568 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – In a shelter on the Tin-Aboteka trail, this seated woman watches a cow with lyre-shaped horns peacefully move away. Above, very difficult to read, older paintings can be seen. From the base of the tail to the nostrils, the cow is 0.33 m long.

569 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Pastoral fresco in dark red ochre. The bovines are depicted in motion, moving away to the right. Figures armed with bows accompany them. In the background, a calf is being forcefully driven. From the nostrils of the calf to the rear leg of the man: 0.10 m in length.

571 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Pastoral scene in white and ochre, from reddish-brown to light brown. Note the cap worn by both the man and the child following him, in the top right. It closely resembles the cap still worn by children during circumcision. The man is 0.24 m tall.

578 - Tin-Terhert (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - The Tin-Terhert site presents an extraordinary surprise for the traveler, as it is a true open-air museum. The large slabs of Maâder de Dider are covered with magnificent, deep engravings made with stone chips. The large ox measures 5.10 m in length.

579 - Tin-Terhert (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Head of a bovid from the left document. Extraordinary work composed of engraved patterns to render the animal's coat.

580 - Tin-Terhert (Tassili-n'Ajjer, Maâder de Dider). - Details of the large bovid, allowing for a judgment of the engraver's mastery.

581 - Tin-Terhert (Tassili-n'Ajjer, Maâder de Dider). - Details of the large bovid, allowing for a judgment of the engraver's mastery.

582 - Tin-Terhert (Tassili-n'Ajjer, Maâder de Dider). - Details of the large bovid, allowing for a judgment of the engraver's mastery.

606 - In ltinen (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Two bovines and a calf (?) painted in dark ochre. The multiplicity of bovine depictions must reflect the actual importance of the herd during the great Pastoral Period. Nevertheless, it would probably be a mistake to imagine the region where it is found as the present-day Normandy. Evidence of this can be seen in the large herds of the Peuhls today.

607 - Ihérir (in the locality of Ahréné, Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Large ox painted with patterns intended to represent the coat. A comparison should be made with the bovine engraved at Tin-Terhert (photos 578 and 579).

629 - Terrarart (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Four deeply engraved oxen with polished parts. Executed in the style of those from In-Debiren, using the natural relief of the rock to the fullest. The ox in the middle left is called "the crying cow" because it appears to have a tear running from its right eye. This engraving, at human height, is located on an isolated rock emerging from the sand in the Wadi Edjiriou. It is said that when the wadi flows, the "crying cow" dips its snout into the water. Dimension of the head, from forehead to nostrils: 0.60 m.

631 - Oued Mertoutek (Hoggar). - At the top, two pairs of figures with "dash-shaped heads." The central one is sometimes called "the guitarist," though this, of course, is unverified. This painting, in brown ochre and white, also shows animals rendered entirely in white. Below, there are two groups of two individuals and one isolated figure. At the very bottom, a little devil (?) in red ochre (Photo: Jörg Eberl).

656 - Gonoa (Tibesti). - On a beautiful fresco of eight finely engraved giraff. Above, a punctuated bovine, later in date. Inside the bovine, there is an inexplicable structure. The very small man standing in front of the first giraffe, on the left, measures 0.14 m in height.

In Hinduism, cows are considered sacred and untouchable, which is why they are often found right in the midst of public life, as here at a bustling street market in Jodhpur. The veneration of the cow is deeply rooted in Indian culture and continues to play a role in political and religious debates to this day. The market stall sells various items of clothing and toys, a typical sight at urban Indian street markets. – 1990

A scene from the village of Khuri in the Thar Desert near Jaisalmer. The building is a typical mud-brick house with thick walls that keep the interior cool by day and warm by night. The stepped, white-framed doorway is a characteristic architectural feature of this region. A woman wearing a colourful red odhni (veil) balances a water pot on her head, a daily task in water-scarce desert areas. Cattle are an integral part of daily life in Indian desert villages. – 1990

A rural scene in Rajasthan, where women are milking a family cow by hand. This traditional method of milk production is widespread in rural India and is often part of daily life in farming villages. Milking is traditionally often carried out by women, whilst the whole family, including the children, helps with household chores and animal care. Cows are considered sacred in Indian culture and are a vital source of livelihood for the rural population. – Khuri – 1990

Photo Gallery