A RARE WHITE AND RUSSET JADE FIGURE OF A BIXIE, SONG DYNASTY OR EARLIER

拍品描述

A RARE WHITE AND RUSSET JADE FIGURE OF A BIXIE, SONG DYNASTY OR EARLIER China, 960-1279 or earlier. Boldly carved as a ferocious bixie in a dynamic striding pose with scrolling tail, upswept wings, a long curved horn, and neatly incised claws, the face well detailed with large bulging eyes and broad ruyi-shaped snout, the mouth wide open in a roar, revealing tongue and teeth. The translucent stone of a white tone with russet-brown patches and creamy calcification on the tail. Dimensions: Length 7.5 cm Closely modeled after Han dynasty prototypes, this carving is outstanding for its exquisite workmanship, successfully capturing a sense of life and animation. Deftly carved in the round, the dynamic pose evokes a fierce spirit. The bixie, averter of evil, a lion-like mythical beast with claws (in contrast to the qilin, which has hooves), first appeared in Chinese art during the Han dynasty in both monumental stone sculpture and small jade carvings. S. H. Hansford has suggested that “Winged quadrupeds are unknown to earlier Chinese mythology, but are a common feature of Babylonian and Assyrian imagery, and the concept seems to have reached China in the Han period through her exploration and expansion westward” (Chinese Carved Jades, London, 1968, p. 87). The iconography of the bixie is closely linked to the griffin, popular in Western Asia and the Eurasian steppes, with origins in Mesopotamia around 3000 B.C. In Chinese art, the bixie occupies a curious position: based on the imagery of the lion, a foreign animal, but infused with the ferocity of the tiger. It was often placed alongside other exotic creatures as monumental backdrops for Han palaces, temples, shrines, and tombs—where bronze or stone sculptures of Weng Zhong, qilin, tianlu, elephants, camels, and horses formed a rich visual menagerie in which the bixie played a central role. For monumental examples, see A. Falco Howard, Li Song, Wu Hung and Yang Hong, Chinese Sculpture, New Haven, 2006, pl. 1.57, p. 92 (2nd century AD; Luoyang Museum, Henan Province), and pls. 2.64–65, pp. 166–167 (a pair of stone bixie, Southern dynasties, Yongningling mausoleum of Chen Qian, Emperor Wen of Chen, Nanjing). The interest of Chinese scholars in ancient artifacts can be traced back to antiquity, but the study of these objects, known as antiquarianism or jinshixue—literally “the study of metals and stones”—first developed during the Northern Song dynasty. The practice of collecting precious objects was spreading through China as well, and many lost pieces from the Shang dynasty and later were found at building sites. Song scholars established a formal system of dating these artifacts by examining their inscriptions, decorative motif styles, and physical shapes, introducing terms such as taotie that remain in use today. Within this climate of antiquarian interest, jade carvings like the bixie were especially valued. Their archaic forms, modeled on Han dynasty prototypes, offered tangible connections to a revered past. Scholars admired not only their symbolic power but also the technical mastery evident in their carving, treating them as objects of both aesthetic refinement and historical significance. Literature comparison: Compare to a Western Han jade bixie 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. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 13 October 2021, lot 3683 Estimate: HKD 400,000 or approx. EUR 47,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, stone, and subject. Note the size (8.7 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 4 December 2024, lot 9462 Price: HKD 90,000 or approx. EUR 10,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject as well as the related manner of carving and stone. Note the size (9.3 cm).

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