In the auction world, expectations can shift in an instant. Some works arrive with buzz and fall flat, while others – quietly catalogued and modestly estimated – attract unexpected competition and impressive results.
Such was the case during this season’s Paris Auction Week, when Bonhams presented a pair of monumental Chinese bronze mythical beasts from the Qianlong period (1736-1795), each nearly a metre tall, in its Asian Art sale on 11 June.
Estimated at €300,000, the lot was pursued primarily by two bidders, represented by Asaph Hyman, Global Head of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, and Mark Rasmussen, International Director of Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art. After fierce competition, the hammer fell at €3.32 million – eleven times the low estimate – with a final price of €4.06 million (around US$4.3 million) including premium. The winning bid was placed by Mark Rasmussen on behalf of a client.
A key factor behind the result was Bonhams’ discovery of two stylistically identical stone beast sculptures within Qing imperial temple complexes – evidence that strongly suggests the bronze pair was originally made for the court. Even so, the final price far exceeded expectations, particularly in a market still in recovery, making the result all the more significant to Chinese art collectors and connoisseurs alike.
The auctioneer brought the gavel down at €3.32 million, eleven times the low estimate
The lot was pursued primarily by the clients of Asaph Hyman (left) and Mark Rasmussen (right)
Lot 146 | A pair of massive bronze bixie
Qianlong period (1736-1795)
93 x 53 x 80 cm
Provenance:
- Collection of Rudolf Münemann (1908-1982), thence by descent
- According to the family, the pair of bixie was acquired from the Drummond family in the 1960s
Estimate: €300,000 - 500,000
Hammer Price: €3,320,000
Sold: €4,065,600
Auction House: Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr
Sale: Asian Art
Date: 11 June 2025
Cast in the round and imposing in scale, the pair of bronzes is modelled as bixie – an ancient Chinese mythical creature. Each figure is powerfully built, seated in a poised yet fierce posture, with head raised and mouth agape. With stylised wings extending from the shoulders and an unrestrained stance, the creatures embody supernatural strength and untamed power.
The term bixie first appears during the Western Han dynasty, referring to zoomorphic guardians believed to ward off evil. Influenced by artistic traditions from West Asia and Eurasia, their iconography combined the physical might of a lion with the fierce spirit of a tiger. These creatures were typically placed at the entrances of temples, shrines, and the tombs of emperors and nobles.
According to Bonhams, the present bixie draw direct inspiration from stone examples dating to the Six Dynasties period (AD 265–589), themselves descended from Eastern Han (AD 25–220) funerary sculpture. These early forms often featured prowling stances, spread wings, and a single horn. By the Tang dynasty, however, the dynamic, aggressive forms of earlier periods had evolved into more docile and solemn representations.
From that point forward, the image of a lion resting on strong hind legs, with muscular forelegs planted firmly and details such as a flowing mane, open jaws, and prominent claws, became the standard template for lion and bixie sculptures alike. Comparable examples can still be seen today in the imperial compounds of the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace.
An early example of bixie sculptures, dated circa AD 25 - 220
Early examples of bixie sculptures, dated circa AD 420 - 589
Among the many large-scale lion and mythical beast sculptures produced for the Qing court, two related stone examples bear a striking resemblance to the present bronze bixie.
The first stands at the Western Yellow Temple (Xihuangsi) in Beijing – a Lamaist complex originally built under the Shunzhi Emperor and expanded during the Qianlong reign. Flanking the staircase leading to the Marble Pagoda (Qingjing Huacheng Ta) is a pair of white marble bixie, comparable in scale and design to the bronze examples: compact, rounded, and highly stylised.
The pagoda itself, constructed in 1782, was commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor as a reliquary for the Sixth Panchen Lama. The backstory is well documented: in 1778, Qianlong invited the Panchen Lama to Beijing to mark his 70th birthday. In celebration, a grand temple was constructed at what is now Chengde. After two years in the capital – lavishly honoured by the court – the Panchen Lama departed in 1780, only to fall ill and die shortly after.
To commemorate his passing, Qianlong ordered the construction of the Marble Pagoda behind the temple's main hall, completed two years later. The marble bixie were installed at its base as guardians of the reliquary.
A pair of closely related white marble bixie at the Western Yellow Temple (Xihuangsi) in Beijing
One of a pair of closely related white marble bixie at the Western Yellow Temple (Xihuangsi) in Beijing
A second related pair stands at the entrance to Zhihuihai Temple (Temple of the Sea of Perfect Wisdom), atop Longevity Hill in the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan). Completed in 1750, the temple formed part of Qianlong’s vast imperial complex, encompassing palaces, temples, and landscaped gardens.
Taken together, these closely related stone examples, though differing in material, provide a firm basis for dating the bronze pair to the Qianlong reign. Their near-identical scale and stylisation, along with their placement within imperial temple sites, strongly suggest that the bronze pair was likewise created as an imperial commission. In the field of Chinese antiquities, such provenance – particularly when tied to the court – is a decisive factor in determining both scholarly importance and market value.
A related example at the entrance to Zhihuihai Temple (Temple of the Sea of Perfect Wisdom)
While the global art market continues its slow recovery from recent downturns, it has yet to return to the heights of previous years. Against this backdrop, the pair’s €4-million result represents an exceptional and, to many, unexpected success.
The final price places the bronze bixie among a select group of Chinese antiquities to have achieved similar heights in recent years. Comparable results remain rare, with few recorded since 2023:
- A monumental gilt-bronze figure of Panjarnata Mahakala, Mark and period of Xuande | Sold: HK$40,800,000, Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2023
- A ruby-ground falangcai 'floral' bowl, Blue-enamel yuzhi mark and period of Kangxi | Sold: HK$34,535,000, Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2025
- A 17th century huanghuali single plank-top pedestal table, jiaji'an | Sold: HK$33,045,000, Christie's Hong Kong, 2025
- An imperial inscribed cinnabar lacquer wutong wood qin, Qianlong period | Sold: RMB 30,475,000, Beijing Poly International Auction, 2024
- A blue and white 'immortal' bowl, Xuande six-character mark | Sold: HK$30,625,000, Christie's Hong Kong, 2024
A monumental gilt-bronze figure of Panjarnata Mahakala, Mark and period of Xuande | Sold: HK$40,800,000, Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2023
A ruby-ground falangcai 'floral' bowl, Blue-enamel yuzhi mark and period of Kangxi | Sold: HK$34,535,000, Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2025
A 17th century huanghuali single plank-top pedestal table, jiaji'an | Sold: HK$33,045,000, Christie's Hong Kong, 2025
An imperial inscribed cinnabar lacquer wutong wood qin, Qianlong period | Sold: RMB 30,475,000, Beijing Poly International Auction, 2024
A blue and white 'immortal' bowl, Xuande six-character mark | Sold: HK$30,625,000, Christie's Hong Kong, 2024