11cm.（4 3/8 in.） wide

Provenance
Feng Wen Tang，Hong Kong
The Collection of Raymond and Frances Bushell，acquired in the early 1990s from Feng Wen Tang，Hong Kong

Refined and lustrous white jade with partial color suffusions. The chimera is carved in crouching posture with its head raised and bulging eyes looking forward. It opens its mouth to expose the sharp teeth in a fierce and vigorous manner. A beard hangs down from the lower jaw. Two curved ears are carved on the head and the centre of the head is decorated with a horn in the shape of a ruyi scepter. The head，the two sides of the body and the back are decorated with incised parallel slim lines to represent hairs. The crossed limbs spread widely with sharp claws stretching to the front，portray a dynamic and forceful resonance. The Chimera was one of the ancient mythical beasts ，which first appeared in the Western Han dynasty and endured through to the Qing dynasty. It was regarded as a mythical beast that could turn misfortunes into auspiciousness and ward off evils and ghosts.

Notes for appreciation
In ancient Chinese myths，there were many legendary beasts such as dragons，pixiu mythical beasts and others，and their forms were used as the basis for producing jade wares. The chimera（bixie）was a respectful mythical beast often found in jade works. The form is a combination of the images of various beasts. Jade chimeras were first produced in the Western Han dynasty，and became popular in the Eastern Han dynasty through the Southern and Northern dynasties. The form was continuously produced until the Song dynasty，but examples with high artistic merits are confined to the two Han dynasties. This chimera is carved from greenish-white jade with a lustrous and refined quality，as well as partial color suffusions. The beast raises its head and looks forward with its bulging eyes in a fierce manner. It opens its mouth to expose the sharp teeth. Two curved ears are carved on the top of the head and a horn in the shape of a ruyi scepter decorates the middle part of the head. Beneath the lower jaw is a beard and the four crossed limbs are spread widely with bulging muscles and outstretched sharp claws，denoting the beast is crawling forward to catch its prey with dynamic motion. The curved surfaces gives the work a sense of vibrance and heroic vigor，and inspire viewers to feel the dynamic force embedded in the muscular tendons of the beast as if the blood is running wild in the body. The head，two sides of the body and the back are decorated with incised slim lines to suggest hairs in a neat manner. The long tail hangs down and two feathered wings are added to the two sides of the belly，and further decorated with cloud scrolls. A perforation is found at the back leg. The rustic and robust form of the beast is also imbued with vivid and witty resonance，giving the imagery a strong sense of dignity. Its form should be transformed from a combination of the imageries of lion and tiger，and only wings are added to provoke imagination and lively resonance. A curved and resilient line，which is like a steel strip，permeates the whole work and gives the beast a sense of forcefulness as well as subtleness，revealing the consummate treatment of curvilinear lines in sculptural carving in the Han dynasty. This piece reveals the superb standard of carving and modeling of jade wares in the Han dynasty，and has high historical and artistic merits.
Gu Fang
Research Director，China Association of Collectors

See a related Bixie，dated to the Han dynasty in the Sir Joseph Hotung Collection，illustrated by J. Rawson，Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to Qing，London，1995，p. 363，no. 26：7. Compare，also，a Bixie illustrated in Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji ，Shijiazhuang，Heibei Meishu Press，1993，p.368，no 148.（fig.1）

Price estimate:
HKD: 800,000-1,200,000
USD: 103,000-155,000

Auction Result:
HKD: 5,546,000