西漢 白玉辟邪

powerfully rendered in the form of a bixie prowling with the left front leg striding forward, the head depicted turned over its back and resting on the rounded rear of its sinuous body, the mythical beast portrayed with a pair of funnel-form ears flanking a long curled horn, staring intensely through bulging eyes above a well-pronounced snout, the slightly agape mouth baring its teeth and sharp canines, the muscular body skilfully picked out with a pair of wings extending from the front haunches and further terminating with a furcated tail echoing the curved contours of the wings and subtly detailed with a phoenix head, the lustrous white stone highlighted with attractive russet patches

Good condition. As visible in the catalogue photo, there is extensive calcification to the stone, especially the underside.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

白玉帶皮，玉如凝脂。辟邪半臥回首，雙目圓睜，張嘴露齒，毛髮後披，腦後有角。有雙翼。卷尾，尾尖飾鳳首，龍鳳呈祥。

此器玉質溫潤如脂，造型威猛，充滿動感。雕琢精緻細膩，線條流暢自然，工藝嫻熟，尤其頭部鬚髮，盡顯工匠之鬼斧神工。

辟邪是獨角、帶翼的獅首類神獸形象，早年從西域傳入，兩漢之際廣泛流行於各種材質，既見大型的陵墓神道石雕，亦有精巧的金銀銅玉裝飾品，造型各異，成為了中國本土化神獸藝術的重要題材。參見孫機，＜漢代物質文化資料圖說＞，北京，1991年，頁420；李零，＜論中國的有翼神獸＞，《中國學術》，卷5，2001年1月，頁62-135。

此白玉辟邪造型特別，曲身引頸回首，下頜抵脊背，尾翼反轉撐地。同類型圓雕辟邪，可見陝西漢元帝渭陵遺址出土的兩件白玉辟邪，但姿勢有別，一為昂首狀，一為匍匐爬行狀，見古方，《中國出土玉器全集》，卷14，北京，2005年，頁163-164；裝飾豐富的尾翼造型可參考美國史密森學會賽克勒美術館所藏之玉辟邪，該辟邪上騎羽人，藏品號S1987.26。

先秦古籍《山海經》記載：「辟邪之獸，來自海東神獸，能知人之忠佞不直者，觸而淡殺之。」 古人認為，一種危害生命的力量存在於冥冥之中，而以美玉雕琢之辟邪足以戰勝危害生命之物，因此倍受尊崇。