A fine gilt-bronze weight in the form of a curling chimera (bixie) on a low circular base. The winged beast is vigorously cast and incised, its head well detailed with two horns, a broad nose, an open mouth revealing its tongue and teeth and a long beard; it has flaming haunches and a trifurcated tail. The bronze bears a fine patina with extensive areas of gilding and some malachite and green encrustation.

Western Han dynasty
Diameter: 2 3/4”, 7 cm

Formerly in the Daridan Collection

A sleeve weight of identical design and probably this example was included in Burchard, Exhibition of Gold and Silver in Early Chinese Art, no. 22. For a similar figure, see Catalogue of the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, 1935-6, no. 518, and for a set of gilt bronze weights, see Homage to Heaven, Homage to Earth: Chinese Treasures of the Royal Ontario Museum, no. 62, p. 112. A bronze figure in a very similar posture is illustrated as no. 116 in Rawson and Bunker, Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes.