depicted crouching with outstretched front paws, the mythical beast portrayed with a broad and slightly agape mouth revealing its fangs and teeth below a pair of long slender horns, further rendered with a pair of wings extending from the shoulders and along the body, the well-defined muscular haunches detailed with a curling tail with rope-twist grooves, the stone of a pale greyish-celadon colour highlighted with celadon and black patches and streaks

The Hei-Chi Collection.

Jade in Chinese Culture, Palm Springs Desert Museum, Palm Springs, CA, 1990, cat. no. 27.
Ip Yee, Chinese Jade Carving, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1983, cat. no. 126.
Chinese Jade Animals, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 58.

Jiang Tao and Liu Yunhui, Jades from the Hei-Chi Collection, Beijing, 2006, p. 132 top.

The figure is in overall good condition. There are minute nicks to the edges, the most visible measuring approx. 0.7 cm shallow nick to the right ear, the top possibly lightly polished. There are also light characteristic pitting to the stone and an approx. 0.5 cm natural nick to the side.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Skilfully modelled in the round to depict a playful bixie, portrayed through its animated face and charming paws, this carving successfully captures a sense of life. The curling eyebrows and the gentle crouching position of this creature evoke a child-like spirit, poised ready for play. These figural sculptures were created as independent objects for the sumptuous display and enjoyment of its owner, as well as to provide a constant and concrete realisation of the powerful supernatural forces latent in the world. Compare a carving of this type and attributed to the Six Dynasties, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi quanji, vol. 4, Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 306; and another, but with wings, from the collection of Arthur Sackler, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1975, cat. no. 182.

Carvings of this type continued to be produced in the later periods; for example see a yellow jade example attributed to the Song to Ming dynasty, from the Bei Shan Tang Collection, included in the exhibition Chinese Jade Carving, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1983, cat. no. 147; and a Ming example, from the collection of Mr and Mrs Philip Pinsof, also included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, op. cit., cat. no. 376.

The popularity of the representation of mythical creatures in stone to line the tomb avenues of emperors and high-ranking officials reached a peak🅘 during the Six Dynasties. Concurrent with the creation of immense fabulous beasts from the spiritual world were produced on a grand scale outside the tombs near Nanjing, an artistic tradition of creating jade animals in the highest quality flourished.