COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
mediaCollectionId
AMICO~1~1
The AMICA Library
Collection
true
AMICA ID:
ASIA.1979.111
amicoid
ASIA.1979.111
AMICA ID
false
AMICA Library Year:
1998
aly
1998
AMICA Library Year
false
Object Type:
Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
oty
Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
Object Type
false
Creator Nationality:
Asian; Far East Asian; Chinese
crc
Asian; Far East Asian; Chinese
Creator Nationality
false
Creator Name-CRT:
Chinese
crt
Chinese
Creator Name-CRT
false
Title:
Bixie (Mythical Animal)
otn
Bixie (Mythical Animal)
Title
false
View:
Full view
rid
Full view
View
false
Creation Date:
Western Han period (206 BCE-CE 9)
oct
Western Han period (206 BCE-CE 9)
Creation Date
false
Creation Start Date:
-206
ocs
-206
Creation Start Date
false
Creation End Date:
9
oce
9
Creation End Date
false
Materials and Techniques:
Gilt bronze
omd
Gilt bronze
Materials and Techniques
false
Classification Term:
Bronzes
clt
Bronzes
Classification Term
false
Creation Place:
North China
ocp
North China
Creation Place
false
Dimensions:
1 1/2 x 3 5/8 x 2 1/4 in. (3.8 x 9.2 x 5.7 cm)
met
1 1/2 x 3 5/8 x 2 1/4 in. (3.8 x 9.2 x 5.7 cm)
Dimensions
false
AMICA Contributor:
Asia Society
oon
Asia Society
AMICA Contributor
false
Owner Location:
New York, New York, USA
oop
New York, New York, USA
Owner Location
false
ID Number:
1979.111
ooa
1979.111
ID Number
false
Credit Line:
Asia Society: The Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection
ooc
Asia Society: The Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection
Credit Line
false
Rights:
orl
<a href="http://www.asiasociety.org"target="_new">http://www.asiasociety.org</a>
Rights
false
Context:
During the Han dynasty (206 BCE-CE 220), bronze was used to make a wide range of vessels as well as weights, tallies, tomb sculptures, lamps, censers, coins, mirrors, and other objects. This small bronze sculpture of a mythical animal known as a bixie may reflect the Han-period fascination with auspicious portents (xiangrui) and magical animals. Many of the more common motifs in the visual arts, such as dragons, unicorns, winged horses, and other composite creatures as well as images of beings not entirely human, are examples of the astonishing variety of auspicious omens that are cited in Han literature and historical records. The bixie, believed to appear during eras of good government, is winged and has two horns. The animal's crouching position and sense of menace help to date this sculpture to the Western Han period (206 BCE-CE 9). It is difficult to determine the intended function of this intriguing sculpture; similar smaller pieces were used as weights for floor coverings, but this large example might have been sculpted for a tomb.
cxd
During the Han dynasty (206 BCE-CE 220), bronze was used to make a wide range of vessels as well as weights, tallies, tomb sculptures, lamps, censers, coins, mirrors, and other objects. This small bronze sculpture of a mythical animal known as a <I>bixie</I> may reflect the Han-period fascination with auspicious portents (<I>xiangrui</I>) and magical animals. Many of the more common motifs in the visual arts, such as dragons, unicorns, winged horses, and other composite creatures as well as images of beings not entirely human, are examples of the astonishing variety of auspicious omens that are cited in Han literature and historical records. The <I>bixie</I>, believed to appear during eras of good government, is winged and has two horns. The animal's crouching position and sense of menace help to date this sculpture to the Western Han period (206 BCE-CE 9). It is difficult to determine the intended function of this intriguing sculpture; similar smaller pieces were used as weights for floor coverings, but this large example might have been sculpted for a tomb.
Context
false
Related Document Description:
The Animal in Chinese Art. London: Arts Council of Great Britain and Oriental Ceramic Society, 1968, n.p.
rdd
<I>The Animal in Chinese Art.</I> London: Arts Council of Great Britain and Oriental Ceramic Society, 1968, n.p.
Related Document Description
false
Related Document Description:
Asia Society. Handbook of the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection. New York: Asia Society, [1981], p. 53.
rdd
Asia Society. <I>Handbook of the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection.</I> New York: Asia Society, [1981], p. 53.
Related Document Description
false
Related Document Description:
Gure, Desmond. 'Selected Examples from the Jade Exhibition at Stockholm, 1963: A Comparative Study.' Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities 36 (1964), p. 136.
rdd
Gure, Desmond. 'Selected Examples from the Jade Exhibition at Stockholm, 1963: A Comparative Study.' <I>Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities</I> 36 (1964), p. 136.
Related Document Description
false
Related Document Description:
Jenyns, R. Soame, and William Watson. Chinese Art, vol. 2, The Minor Arts: Gold, Silver, Bronze, Cloisonné, Cantonese Enamel, Lacquer, Furniture, Wood. New York: Universe Books, 1963, pp. 138, 139.
rdd
Jenyns, R. Soame, and William Watson. <I>Chinese Art</I>, vol. 2, <I>The Minor Arts: Gold, Silver, Bronze, Cloisonné, Cantonese Enamel, Lacquer, Furniture, Wood</I>. New York: Universe Books, 1963, pp. 138, 139.
Related Document Description
false
Related Document Description:
Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities and AB Gustavsbergs Fabriker. Celadon-Jade: Finds, Specimen, Scientific Results. Stockholm: National Museum, 1963, p. 25.
rdd
Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities and AB Gustavsbergs Fabriker. <I>Celadon-Jade: Finds, Specimen, Scientific Results</I>. Stockholm: National Museum, 1963, p. 25.
Related Document Description
false
Related Document Description:
Sotheby and Co. Chinese Art, the Property of A. E. Gilou (auction, London, May 9, 1962), lot 29.
rdd
Sotheby and Co. <I>Chinese Art, the Property of A. E. Gilou</I> (auction, London, May 9, 1962), lot 29.
Related Document Description
false
Related Document Description:
Sotheby and Co. Important Collections of Chinese Ceramics, the Property of the Late Mrs. Walter Sedgwick (auction, London, July 2, 1968), p. 11.
rdd
Sotheby and Co. <I>Important Collections of Chinese Ceramics, the Property of the Late Mrs. Walter Sedgwick</I> (auction, London, July 2, 1968), p. 11.
Related Document Description
false
Related Image Identifier Link:
ASIA.1979.111.a.tif
ril
ASIA.1979.111.a.tif
Related Image Identifier Link
false