Carnelian chimera on hardwood stand

18th century

Height: 5.5 cm Base Height: 1.5 cm

The white veins in the pink agate follow the length of this mythical beast’s body. The style of the beast is archaistic, though it is carved in a material popular in the 18^th century. His head turns back in a contrasting direction, showing a set of individually defined teeth carved, like the rest of the ware, in relief. The chimera is shown atop a smooth hardwood stand.

Published

The object may have been based on styles from Han dynasty chimera such as Sherman Lee, China: 5000 Years, the Guggenheim Foundation, 1998, plate no.18. A similar pose can be seen in a Ming dynasty jade bixie, from Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, April 2013, lot 3098