RARE BIXIE EN JADE VERT PLE ET ROUILLEÉpoque des Six Dynasties (265 -589 ap. J.-C) A VERY RARE PALE GREEN AND RUSSET JADE CARVING OF A BIXIE Six Dynasties (265-589AD) The creature resting on its front paws, the rear right haunch tucked underneath the body and the rear left extended to reach the bifurcated tail, the powerful face carved with wide bulging eyes below a pair of thick curling eyebrows and horns directed back across the head, with part open mouth and beard issuing from the lower jaw, the body delicately incised with scrolling wing motifs and scrolls to the rear haunches, three parallel incised markings to the back to simulate the fur, the softly polished stone of pale whitish hue to the back and creamy russet tone to the body and head, with russet markings to one side of the head and rear haunch. 10.5cm (4 1/8in) long. Provenance: Robert Rousset, Paris (1901-1981), acquired prior to 1935 Jean-Pierre Rousset, Paris (1936-2021) Bixie ('auspicious beast') were the female guardians of treasure brought back by male Tianlu who went out into the world in search of gold. the function of these lifelike sculptures made from durable materials was to embody and pacify the elemental and supernatural forces of the living world. Large stone figures of ferocious beasts including lions and tigers, and imaginary winged figures, were all placed on the spirit avenues in tombs of emperors and high ranking officials and militarymanders, a tradition that flourished and reached its peak during the Six Dynasties, when immense fabulous beasts drawn from the spiritual world were produced on a grand scale outside the tombs near Nanjing. Simultaneously, an artistic tradition of creating jade animals of the highest quality flourished. In contrast to the majority of earlier two-dimensional jade carvings, made for the afterlife or to adorn the individual, these figural sculptures were created in the round as independent objects, not just as sumptuous display items for the appreciation of the elite, but also to provide the owner with a constant and concrete realisation of the powerful supernatural forces latent in the world around. Jade bixie of the Six Dynasties unlike the earlier ones made during the Han dynasty, appear to display less movement in their carving.pare a jade fitting in the form of a bixie , Eastern Han dynasty, illustrated by J.Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing , London, 1995, p.353, fig.6; and see also another example, Wei/Jin dynasty, illustrated in pendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 4 Han, Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties , Beijing, 2011, no.299. See a related jade carving of a mythical beast, Six Dynasties, illustrated by J.Rawson and J.Ayers, Chinese Jade throughout the Ages , London, 1975, no.186. A further Six Dynasties jade bixie from the collection of Dr and Mrs Cheng Te-k'un, is illustrated by J.Watt, Chinese Jade from Han t