SONG DYNASTY OR EARLIER

Details

A RARE CELADON AND RUSSET JADE CARVING OF BIXIE
SONG DYNASTY OR EARLIER
The mythical beast, bixie, is depicted with a broad snout, bushy eyebrows, a single horn and mouth agape, exposing the fangs and tongue. Its shoulders are flanked by a pair of wings, one of which is incised with feathers. The curled tail is flicked to one side. The stone is of a greyish-celadon tone with areas of russet.
3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm.) long, box

Provenance

Sold at Butterfield and Butterfield, San Francisco, 16 November 1994, lot 2904

Brought to you by

Priscilla Kong

pkong@christies.com +852 2978 9958

Lot Essay

The current jade carving, depicted lying recumbent with head tilted up and mouth slightly agape, is closely modelled after Han dynasty jade bixie of very similar design, including a brown jade example, dating to the Han dynasty, in the National Palace Museum (accession no. gu-yu-002840-N000000000) (fig. 1); a white jade example excavated from the tomb of the Han Emperor Yuandi in Xinzhuang, Shaanxi province, now in Xianyang Museum, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi quanji, vol. 4, Qin, Han, Northern and Southern Dynasties, Hebei, 1993, pl. 148; and another Han example from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Jadeware (I), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1996, no. 201.

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