A JADE CARVING OF A BIXIE, SIX DYNASTIESJade. China, Six Dynasties, 3rd-6th century ADThe mythical beast is standing foursquare with gently curved wings, an s-shaped tail, funnel-shaped ears, and a single horn. The face is neatly detailed with bulging eyes below sinuous brows, a prominent nose, and the mouth agape revealing teeth and tongue.The mostly opaque stone is of a deep brown tone with olive and dark green shadings, dark speckles, and small areas of calcification.Moving away from the highly stylized depictions of animals in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, artisans of the Han dynasty and Six Dynasties 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 be portents possessing supernatural power.Auction comparison:Compare a related white jade bixie, also dated to the Six Dynasties, of slightly larger size (6.5 cm long), at Christie’s, Hong Kong, Adorning the Kings - A Private Collection of Archaic Jade Ornaments, 31 May 2017, lot 2743 (sold for HKD 375,000), and another (7 cm long) dated Han to Six Dynasties at Sotheby’s, New York, Important Chinese Art, 21 September 2021, lot 46 (sold for USD 107,100).HEIGHT 5 cmProvenance: Private Collection of Irene and Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022).