Something or just a thing? Bull

Indian semi modern maybe, or something more interesting? Estate it came out of had some neat stuff. Some of it passed through an old family with a bit dough. I didn’t think much of this when I snagged it but it’s always good to get some eyes when you’re not sure. Any thoughts? Around 4” long. Not sure if the cavity is meaningful? Possible there was a rider or something mounted to the top via the hole.

 

Found a more upmarket one, and obviously older, described as a Mughal period water dropper, but no explanation how it would work:

https://www.rm-auctions.com/nl/winterveiling-2018/13188-een-mogoolse-messing-waterdruppelaar-of--kan-in-de-vorm-van-een-zeboe-india-17-18e-eeuw?c=12,26,63,42,25,57,16,10

The title is in Dutch, translation is "A Mughal brass water dropper or jug shaped as a zebu, India 17th/18th century."
It has dead links to Sotheby's auctions.

Presumably it had a snugly fitting stopper in the belly. The hole in the neck could be an airhole.

 

Ooh, well that’s quite interesting indeed. I’ve got a bunch of water droppers but my mind never went there on this piece. It does indeed have an open mouth so it could be one. The mouths hole is larger than I’d presume to find on a water dropper but your comp is pretty convincing. Since the loop/bale is cast into the figure I wonder if there was a stopper on a chain of string that plugged the mouth. Thanks for finding that piece. Always nice when things are more interesting than they first appear. Got this for peanuts in the last seconds of a sale.