AN EXCEPTIONAL AND POWERFULLY CARVED WHITE AND BROWN JADE CARVING OF A BIXIE, WESTERN HAN DYNASTY

China, 206-8 BC. Superbly carved in the round, the mythical creature depicted in an animated pose, prowling with its right front leg striding forward, the majestic head turned over its back and resting on the rounded rear of its sinuous body, well detailed with funnel-shaped ears flanking a pair of long curled horns, staring intensely through bulging eyes above a pronounced snout, the mouth agape baring its teeth and sharp canines.

The muscular body skillfully picked out with a pair of wings extending from the front legs, the furcated tail echoing the curved contours of the wings and terminating in a neatly grooved scrolling tip. The smoothly polished, partially translucent stone of a grayish-white hue with russet-brown patches, dark specks and veins, and areas of cream-white calcification.

Provenance: From the private collection of Alvin Lo, Hong Kong, acquired privately in Hong Kong circa twelve years ago. Alvin Lo is a fourth-generation art collector and dealer specializing in Asian art, with particular expertise in Chinese jades and works of art. He is the fourth son of P. C. Lu, one of the most influential Hong Kong art dealers of the twentieth century. Raised in a family deeply rooted in the art world, Lo developed an early and discerning eye for quality and authenticity. In the 1990s, he founded Alvin Lo Oriental Art in Midtown Manhattan before returning to Hong Kong in the mid-2000s, where he continues his work. Over the past decades, he has published numerous scholarly catalogs and organized exhibitions internationally.
Condition: Very good condition with expected wear, signs of prolonged burial with associated few minuscule losses, tiny nibbling, the stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which have developed into small hairlines.

Weight: 344.7 g
Dimensions: Length 11.6 cm

With a padded storage box. (2)

Moving away from the highly stylized depictions of animals in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, artisans of the early Western Han Dynasty through to the early Six Dynasties period continuously developed a more naturalistic approach to representing animals. This aesthetic was applied to images of both real and mythical creatures, and across artistic mediums. At the same time, lapidary arts flourished, and jade animals of unprecedentedly high quality started to be carved. The present bixie is a superb example of the sculptural practices of the period, and the era's enthusiasm for miraculous creatures that were believed to possess supernatural power.

Pixiu are mythical hybrid creatures, considered powerful protectors, resembling strong, winged tigers or lions, auspicious for wealth, and said to have a voracious appetite exclusively for gold, silver, and jewels. Therefore, Pixiu have always been regarded as being capable of drawing cai qi (wealth) from all directions, and according to the Chinese zodiac, they are especially helpful for those who are going through a bad year. There are two types of Pixiu: the one with two horns is the female, called Bixie. The one with only one antler is the male, called Tianlu.

Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty declared that the pixiu would be forever known as the 'Treasure of the Emperor', that only royal personage could possess a pixiu, and that it was strictly forbidden for all others to own one, including officials. This law was kept through to the very end of the Qing dynasty. Lifelike sculptures of these mythical beings made from durable materials, such as jade, were made to embody and pacify the elemental and supernatural forces of the living world.

Winged beasts in general (lion, tiger, deer, ram, eagle… etc.) 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 most eye-catching amongst them are carvings of bixie in the round. The term bixie first appeared in Jijiupian by Shi You in the Western Han period: 'Sheji, bixie are both names of mythical beasts… bixie means 'warding off the wicked'. It is said that jade pendants in the form of these two beasts can help prevent adversity and provide protection.'

The iconography of the bixie is closely associated with that of the griffin, popular in the Western Asia and Eurasia steppes, and originated in Mesopotamia in 3000 B.C. 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 architectures, 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 is an important component amongst the array that makes up this subject matter.

The tiger most embodies the bixie's essence. In the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang in his military strategy coined the now well-known term 'like a tiger added with wings' to describe a general that excels at deploying his troops. The origin of this phrase can be found in his anthology Zhuge Zhongwuhou wenji, juan 4, edited by Zhang Shu (1781-1847): “Military command is the mandate to lead the three armies, and the authority of the chief commander. A general who has the command of the army and knows the essence of troop deployment to gain the upper hand, is like a fierce tiger that has been given wings and able to travel the four seas, to apply force when he sees fit.”

Zhuge Liang's description of an able general as 'a tiger added with wings' is the Han dynasty jade bixie personified.

Literature comparison:
Compare two related white jade bixie carved in the round, excavated from the Weiling Mausoleum of Emperor Yuan of the Han Dynasty in Xianyang, Shaanxi. Differing from the present work, one of the Weiling bixie lifts its head, while the other appears to be crawling prostrate. See Gu Fang, The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China, vol. 14, Beijing, 2005, p. 163-164.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 29 November 2024, lot 1066
Price: HKD 20,945,000 or approx. EUR 2,330,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A highly important and superbly carved turquoise bixie, Western Han dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and subject with similar pose and size (10.2 cm) albeit carved from a different stone.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 29 November 2022, lot 2748
Price: HKD 26,850,000 or approx. EUR 3,118,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An exceedingly rare and exceptional jade carving of a mythical beast, bixie, late Western Han dynasty, c. 1st century BC
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, stone, and subject. Note the smaller size (7.2 cm).

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