Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

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Water vessel in the form of a bixie, or animal guardian

  • loan

Location

    • currently in research collection

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Publications online

  • The Barlow Collection by the University of Sussex

    The Barlow Collection

    The small vessel is made of opaque white jade with greenish and darker brown to grey patches, carved in form of a fabulous animal (bixie), its heavy body which forms the receptacle, with a circular opening on the back. The animal is depicted in a lively strident pose, the head turned back and the tail curled to one side, the four paws all differently placed, the left hind leg lagging behind, the paws clearly rendered, the sides with long curled wings raised in relief. The head is depicted with circular eyes, curly eyebrows, open mouth showing fangs and tongue, small ears and curling horns, the body shows incised detail at the wings and underside, tufts of hair behind the cheeks, above the tail, and at the legs, and the tail shows twisted strands of hair.

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