A POWERFUL BLACK LIMESTONE FIGURE OF A WINGED MYTHICAL LION, BIXIE, SIX DYNASTIES-EARLY TANG DYNASTY

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A POWERFUL BLACK LIMESTONE FIGURE OF A WINGED MYTHICAL LION, BIXIE, SIX DYNASTIES-EARLY TANG DYNASTY Expert’s note Winged mythical beasts, often termed bixie, emerged as powerful funerary guardians during the Han dynasty (fig. 1) and remained important throughout the Six Dynasties. By the sixth and seventh centuries, these fantastic creatures increasingly gave way to more naturalistically conceived animals like the lion (fig. 2) and tiger (fig. 3). Court records note that in 635, the Tang Emperor received a real lion as tribute from Samarkand, giving Chinese artists the rare opportunity to observe the animal directly and helping to transform its sculptural representation. The present beast stands compellingly between these traditions: its feathered wings, eagle-like talons, fantastic tail, and hooked beak preserve the chimeric character of the earlier bixie, while its massive chest, luxuriant mane, and leonine features anticipate the powerful animal sculpture of the Tang dynasty. Carved from lustrous black limestone closely associated with Six Dynasties and Tang sculpture, it is an exceptionally rare survival from this transitional stage, for which no close counterpart appears to be recorded. China, circa 5th-7th century. Masterfully carved in a dynamic stance standing foursquare on a rectangular base, the muscular legs terminating in eagle-like talons. The body is flanked by two majestic wings tucked closely against the sides, the long trifurcated tail swept over the hindquarters, while the powerfully modeled head of the creature is held proudly erect, framed by a luxuriant mane, the face with large bulging eyes and a beak-like snout, the mouth wide open in a ferocious roar revealing sharp fangs and a protruding tongue. Dimensions: Height 27.3 cm, Length 31.5 cm Winged beasts are a popular and enduring subject in ancient Chinese works of art, and exist in many different forms (as a decorative pattern, flat carving or carving in the round). The best known is perhaps the bixie, whose iconography is closely associated with that of the griffin, popular in the Western Asia and Eurasia steppes, and originated in Mesopotamia in 3000 BC. Bixie occupies a curious position in Chinese art. It is based on the imagery of a lion, a foreign animal, but has the spirit of a fierce tiger. It is often depicted alongside other exotic animals as artistic backdrops for monumental architecture, especially in the Han dynasty where palaces, temples, shrines, and tombs were often decorated with large-scale bronze or stone sculptures of Weng Zhong, qilin, tianlu, elephants, camels, or horses. Bixie and winged beasts in general are an important component amongst the array that makes up this subject matter. Literature comparison: Compare a related black stone chimera, dated 5th century, 54.6 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 63.224.1. Compare a related limestone figure of a lion, dated Northern Qi dynasty, 93 cm high, in the Museum Rietberg, Zürich, inventory number RCH 141. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 5 May 2026, lot 9802 Price: HKD 1,280,000 or approx. EUR 141,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related modeling, manner of carving, and stone. Note the size (21.6 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 23 March 2012, lot 1764 Price: USD 458,500 or approx. EUR 577,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related modeling, manner of carving, and stone. Note the similar size (28.5 cm).

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