A YELLOW AND BROWN JADE 'BIXIE' CARVING YUAN - MING DYNASTY |

seated on its hind legs with the body raised on its forelegs, the powerful chest carved with reptilian ridges and sweeping upward into a long S-curved neck, the ferocious face with bulging eyes, flared nostrils, and an open mouth revealing sharp fangs and a raised tongue, tufts of fur extending from the chin and the crown of the head, fan-shaped wings with scalloped edges rising from the shoulders, flame scrolls emanating from each leg, a short broad tail descending between the back heels, the stone a light yellow color streaked with dark brown veins and transmuting to an opaque beige hue at the hind quarters

Weisbrod Chinese Art, Ltd., New York, 22nd May 1978.

Robert P. Youngman, The Youngman Collection of Chinese Jades from Neolithic to Qing, Chicago, 2008, pl. 153.

The figure is in overall good condition with a tiny chip to the edge of one wing and minute nicks to the paws.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This bixie is deftly carved with a dramatic profile that emphasizes the power and mystique of the mythical creature. The balanced composition makes use of the natural variegation in the stone. The curvilinear openwork front and upper sections of the body are carved from the translucent yellow passages of the stone, with the light color heightening the sense of the animal's agility and ability to fly, while the solid rear portion of the bixie is carved from the darker, densely toned section of the stone to enhance the impression of the beast's heft and might. The dark brown vein tracing the muscular contour of the left shoulder similarly accentuates the animal's brawn. A white jade carving of a mythical beast with similar wings, face, fangs, and stance was excavated from a Yuan dynasty site in Xi'an in 1978 and illustrated in Yang Boda, Zhongguo yuqi quanji [The Complete Compilation of Chinese Jades], vol. 2, Shijiazhuang, 2005, pl. 196. Compare also a Yuan dynasty white and russet jade qilin with a similar elongated S-curved neck, size, and bodily contours vis-à-vis the present example, exhibited in Jades from China, The Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, 1994, cat. no. 261, and a Ming dynasty white jade carving of a mythical beast with a similar profile from the Chang Shuo Studio Collection, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 5th April 2017, lot 3301. The articulation of the body and the execution of the flame scrolls also compare favorably to a Yuan dynasty white and brown crouching mythical beast from the Speelman Collection, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 3rd April 2018; and a Ming dynasty white jade carving of a mythical beast from the Zhirouzhai Collection sold our Hong Kong rooms, 8th October 2008, lot 2316.