HAN DYNASTY (206 BC-AD 220)

Details

A RARE JADE BIXIE
HAN DYNASTY (206 BC-AD 220)
The mythical beast is shown crouched low in an attacking stance standing on four sharply clawed feet. Its head is slightly turned to one side as it bares its ferocious teeth and bulging eyes, further detailed to the body with fine incisions and a bifurcated tail.
3. 1/8 in. (8.2 cm.) wide, wood box

Provenance

Ku Ngar Antique Ltd., Hong Kong
E Yuan Tang Chinese Art, Taipei, acquired in 1992

Conditions of sale

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Priscilla Kong

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Lot Essay

A closely related carved jade bixie, also dated to the Han dynasty in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Jadeware (I), Hong Kong, 1995, p. 240, no. 201. Though slightly longer in size (10.9 cm.), it is notable that both beasts are carved naturalistically with an alert posture and ferocious features. Compare also to another bixie dated to the Western Han dynasty in the collection of the Xianyang Museum in Shaanxi province, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi quanji-qin han, vol. 4, Shijiazhuang, 1993, p. 109, no. 148 (fig. 1).

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