A 'XINIU' PARCEL-GILT BRONZE MIRROR STAND, YUAN DYNASTY China, 1279-1368. Well cast, the recumbent single-horned beast with the head turned back, the spine supporting a mirror stand in the form of a crescent-shaped moon above a cloud cluster. Provenance: Christie's Hong Kong, 6 October 2015, lot 185, bought-in at an estimate of HKD 120,000-180,000. A noted private collector of Chinese works of art, acquired from the above in an after-sale transaction. Condition: Overall in very good condition with wear, casting flaws, occasional light scratches, and few small dents and nicks. The mirror stand with an old soldering repair. Weight: 1,811 g Dimensions: Length 30.8 cm The design of a Xiniu gazing at the moon appears for the first time in the Song dynasty and remains popular through the 13th and 14th centuries, appearing on Dingyao and Yaozhou bowls and dishes as well as textiles and elsewhere in Chinese decorative arts. The theme is discussed at length by Wirgin, “Sung Ceramic Designs,” B.M.F.E.A., No. 42, Stockholm, 1970, pp. 196-198. According to Wirgin, the term hsi-niu (xiniu) meant beast in ancient Chinese texts, but the beast became extinct in the post-archaic period, and by the Song dynasty the xiniu had become a beast of legend, known only through literary references. The design of a xiniu gazing at a crescent moon in Song and Yuan ceramics illustrates the popular myth that the unique crescent-shaped horn of the beast shows the beast magically “communicating with the sky” through its horn. The magical powers attributed to the horn of the beast in the Song dynasty continued to gain in complexity and popularity in later periods. Supernatural, medicinal and other valuable properties were attributed to the horn by Daoist adepts and medicine men, including the reputation for powerful effect as an aphrodisiac. This led to the production of horn bowls and cups, a category of decorative art unique to China. Literature comparison: A closely related example, dated to the 13th century, is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number M.737-1910 and illustrated on the front cover of Rose Kerr, Later Chinese Bronzes, London, 1990, pl. 87. Auction result comparison: Compare a related but smaller (26.3 cm) and later parcel-gilt bronze model of a xiniu, dated to the Ming dynasty and lacking the mirror stand, at Bonhams London in Fine Chinese Art on 9 November 2017, lot 193, sold for GBP 6,875. 元代局部鎏金望月鏡架 中國，1279-1368年。鑄造精美，獨角犀牛擡頭後仰望月，背上一個月牙形鏡子支架，月牙被雲團托承。 來源：香港佳士得 2015年10月6日 lot 185, 估價HKD 120,000-180,000 ；一個知名中國古玩私人收藏，購於上述拍賣後期銷售。 品相：總體狀況極好，有磨損、鑄造缺陷，局部輕微劃痕以及少量小凹痕和刻痕。鏡子支架舊時焊接修復。 重量：1,811 克 尺寸：長30.8 厘米 拍賣結果比較：比較一件明代稍小 (26.3 厘米)的局部鎏金銅像，缺少鏡架，見倫敦邦翰思 Fine Chinese Art 2017年11月9日 lot 193, 售價GBP 6,875。