Description
Bronze Pot of Bi Xi. Tortoise shape body with a tortoise lid. Dragon shape handle. One of a kind piece. Originally from China.
Bi Xi or Pi-hsi, is a figure from Chinese mythology. One of the 9 sons of the Dragon King, he is depicted as a dragon with the shell of a turtle. Bixi have been used in Chinese culture for centuries as a decorative plinth for commemorative steles and tablets. Sculptures of Bixi are traditionally rubbed for good luck.
The early-Ming specimens, while still definitely chelonian, had sprouted small ears; sides of their heads and their carapaces are often decorated by a leaf-like design. They usually have prominent teeth, which real-life turtles don’t. By the mid Ching Dynasty (the 18th century), however, the stele-bearing tortoise becomes the characteristic dragon-headed bixi.
Dimensions: 6″ x 11″ x 8″
