The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 13, 2024

Candlestand in the Shape of a Chimera Bixie

Candlestand in the Shape of a Chimera Bixie

265–316 CE

Description

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.
  • ?–1983
    (Walter Hochstadter [1914–2007], New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1983–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • China's Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 10, 2023-January 7, 2024).
    The Year in Review for 1983. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 22-April 8, 1984).
  • {{cite web|title=Candlestand in the Shape of a Chimera Bixie|url=false|author=|year=265–316 CE|access-date=13 May 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1983.77