Featured Thrift find - bronze bull soldiers gift to General 1967 Vietnam

I found this at my regular thrift store today. I believe its bronze, except for the hole drilled in its stomach?
I googled Major General John Tillison, and got this:

Commanding General of the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam during 1967.

Then I googled Major General, Vietnam & August 8, 1967 and it came back in general & then that date specifically:

Major General John C.F. Tillson III was the commanding general of the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Division at Cu Chi, Vietnam, and on August 8, 1967, he would have been leading operations for the "Tropic Lightning" Division, a major unit involved in large-scale combat operations, especially during that intense summer of 1967 in the Iron Triangle area near Cu Chi. He was a significant figure in that division, known for his command during critical periods of the war.

Major General John C. F. Tillson III left Vietnam on August 6, 1967.
He handed over command of the 25th Infantry Division to Major General Fillmore K. Mearns during a ceremony at the Cu Chi base camp on that date.
He had served as the commanding general of the division from March 1967. Following his departure from Vietnam, he returned to the United States to take command of the First U.S. Army at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.

So this must have been a gift from his men as he was going back to the U.S.,, right?

The bull measures 17" wide x 8" high

Is it bronze? Why the hole in its stomach?
It also has 2 screws holding 2 of its hooves to the base.

PS - photos with red cart I took at thrift store where it was much brighter & they others at home with just camera's flash
I'm thinking this has to be collectible to people who collect military? Would it be worth more to take it off the base - or just remove the plaque?

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

 

Cool-anything in the hole ?

 

Beautiful. It is a buffalo bull, so it could have been made in Vietnam.

 

He died in 2001. Wife died in 2017. Odd that would turn up in a thrift store now.

Debora

 

Ahh! - thanks!
Lost wax is still a bronze?

 

Someone was left the house & they dumped a lot for tax credit - that helps if you're selling the house.

 

Can only see at an angle

 

Here’s a good video explaining how to cast using the lost wax process.
The hole you have is a cut off from one of the wax sprues which ensures gases can escape and all areas can be cast when the wax is melted out. There’s probably some plaster investment left inside the sculpture.

 

By the way, don’t polish it, your patination is deliberately applied.

 

[QUOTE="journeymagazine, post: 11539730, member: 84"]Ahh! - thanks!
Lost wax is still a bronze?[/QUOTE]

Lost wax is a casting technique used with bronze (and other metals).

 

Here it rests with another (jade) water buffalo I've had for awhile now - I hope I don't end up with this one as long!

 

I don't think you will. It is much better quality, and it has provenance.

Are you sure the other one is jade and not serpentine? Difficult to see on the small photo, but the lack of detail suggests it is serpentine.

 

I've

I've had it for awhile now & always thought it was jade.
Not home now but here's a close up of it in pic.

 

It is really cute. It could be jade, but I suspect it is "serpentine jade", which is the best quality serpentine.

 

I'll get checked eventually - its been sitting on a shelf for over a year now; every time I think about putting it on ebay I decide to wait because I like it!
Thanks Any Jewelry!