Lot 1146. A Yue animal-form vessel, Western Jin dynasty, 3rd-4th century; 7 1/8 in. (18 cm.) long, cloth box. Estimate USD 6,000 - USD 8,000. Price realised USD 18,750. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The vessel is hollow-molded as a mythical beast, bixie, crouching on four small clawed feet, with combed markings delineating the beard, mane and back and the applied tail molded with curls. A tubular aperture rises from the animal's back, and the beast is covered overall with a thin pale olive glaze, pooling to green in the recesses.

Provenance: Acquired in Hong Kong prior to 1989.

Note: This type of stoneware beast-form vessel appears to have been made at the Yue kilns in varying sizes; this figure being one of the larger sizes. Similarly modeled examples were included in the Special Exhibition of Chinese Ceramics, Tokyo National Museum, 1994, nos. 58 and 59. The exact use of these vessels is still being debated.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 14 - 15 September 2017, New York

NDB: Compare to:

A 'Yue' Green-Glazed 'Lion' Incense Burner, Western Jin Dynasty; 13cm., 5 1/8 in. Sold for 22,500 GBP at Sotheby's London, 07 november 2012, lot 213. Photo Sotheby's

Cf. my post: A 'Yue' Green-Glazed 'Lion' Incense Burner Western Jin Dynasty