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Candlestand in the Shape of a Chimera Bixie
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The candlestand in the shape of a chimera or bixie (a fantastical hybrid creature that was believed to ward off evil spirits) was molded in two parts. Incisions on both sides of the feline body suggest wings. Stone bixie placed in front of tomb entrances are prominent among the Six Dynasties kings buried in Nanjing. Candlestands in the form of chimera were found in tombs but may have been used in daily life too.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineCandlestand in the Shape of a Chimera Bixie (越窯青釉辟邪燭臺), 265–316 CE. China, Western Jin dynasty (265-316 CE). Glazed stoneware with molded and incised decoration, Yue ware; overall: 8.3 cm (3 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1983.77
