SONG DYNASTY OR EARLIER

The current jade carving, depicted lying recumbent with head tilted up and mouth slightly agape, is closely modelled after Han dynasty jade bixie of very similar design, including a brown jade example, dating to the Han dynasty, in the National Palace Museum (accession no. gu-yu-002840-N000000000) (fig. 1); a white jade example excavated from the tomb of the Han Emperor Yuandi in Xinzhuang, Shaanxi province, now in Xianyang Museum, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi quanji, vol. 4, Qin, Han, Northern and Southern Dynasties, Hebei, 1993, pl. 148; and another Han example from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Jadeware (I), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1996, no. 201.