The renowned South African photographer Daniel Naudé’s moving studies of cattle in cultures where they are considered sacred offer unique insight into the lives of the people, the animals, and the spiritual practices that have remained unchanged for thousands of years.

For the past two years Daniel Naudé has focused on photographing cattle in societies where these animals are venerated. This beautiful book presents images from parts of Uganda, Madagascar, and India where these animals represent a culture’s most profound beliefs. Naudé photographs his subjects with the same respect any photographer would lend toward humans. Richly colored and exquisitely composed, these portraits capture the animals’ presence and the landscapes they inhabit while also telling us much about cosmology, ancestor worship, culture, and the tradition of spiritual practices that have evolved over the ages. Like the best photographers, Naudé achieves this all within a single photographic frame.