Lot 433. Porte-miroir en bronze partiellement doré et un miroir en bronze. Porte-miroir: Chine, dynastie Yuan (1279-1368). Miroir en bronze: possiblement Corée, époque Koryo (918-1392). Estimate €10,000 - €15,000 ($11,344 - $17,015). Price Realized €25,000 ($28,212). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016.

The recumbent mythical beast is finely modelled with its head turned facing the rear, with its bovine head is cast with a single horn before a wavy tuft of hair. The saddle bears a crescent-shaped receptacle decorated with ruyi clouds housing a bronze mirror depicting a pair of dragons chasing the flaming pearl. The mirror stand: 10 ¼ in. (26 cm.) long. The mirror: 9 in. (23 cm.) diam..

A parcel-gilt-bronze 'xiniu' mirror stand and a bronze mirror. The mirror stand: China, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). The bronze mirror: possibly Korea, Koryo period (918-1392)

Provenance: Etude Tajan, Paris, 20 Feburary 2002, Lot 391.
Property from a German family collection. .

Note: A closely related example of this mythical animal form, dated to the Song or Yuan dynasty, is illustrated by R. Kerr,Later Chinese Bronzes, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1990, frontcover, and p. 101, pl. 87. It is mentioned that this mythical single-horned animal, known as xiniu and depicted gazing up at the moon, was a popular motif on ceramics of the Song and Yuan periods, ibid., p. 110. 

Another early example of 'xiniu' mirror stand, dated 14th-15th century, is illustrated by Michel Maucuer, Bronzes de la Chine Impériale des Song aux Qing, Musée Cernuschi, Paris-Musées, 2013, fig.57, p.112.

Christie's. ART D'ASIE, 21 - 22 June 2016, Paris