Chinese Bronze Bixi Stele

Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

Of Archaic form, finely cast bronze walking with a large tablet rising from his shell, with a long calligraphic inscription, retaining a dark blown/black patina.

H. 13 1/2 in.

Note: From Chinese mythology, one of the nine sons of the Dragon King, he is depicted as a dragon with the shell of a turtle. Stone sculptures of Bixi have been used in Chinese culture for centuries as a decorative plinth for commemorative steles and tablets, they are also used at the bases of bridges and archways, Bixi are traditionally rubbed for good luck.