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Lot Essay
The bixi is a mythical beast with the head of a dragon, the tail of a qilin, the paws of a Buddhist lion and the body of a tortoise. The domed carapace of the creature was believed to represent the vault of the heavens while its flat lower shell represented the earth; the living flesh within represented humankind. Not only was this mythical creature one of the earliest spiritual symbols in China, it was also associated with the concept of longevity.
This bottle belongs to a group of animal-form nephrite bottles, the bixi being among the most popular of them, perhaps as a result of its powerful symbolism. Other examples include one in the Bloch Collection, illustrated by Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, Vol. 1, Jade, no. 51; another in B. Stevens, The Collector's Book of Snuff Bottles, no. 359; and one in R. Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles. The White Wings Collection, p. 47, no. 24.
Bottles of this group are carved predominantly from white or off-white nephrite, and are all well hollowed and carved with minute attention to detail. However, the present example is unusually capacious for the group and is exceptionally well carved and detailed.
This bottle belongs to a group of animal-form nephrite bottles, the bixi being among the most popular of them, perhaps as a result of its powerful symbolism. Other examples include one in the Bloch Collection, illustrated by Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, Vol. 1, Jade, no. 51; another in B. Stevens, The Collector's Book of Snuff Bottles, no. 359; and one in R. Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles. The White Wings Collection, p. 47, no. 24.
Bottles of this group are carved predominantly from white or off-white nephrite, and are all well hollowed and carved with minute attention to detail. However, the present example is unusually capacious for the group and is exceptionally well carved and detailed.