Pixiu Creature Carrying a Bird, Hand Carved From Jade, Chinese.

Pixiu Creature Carrying a Bird On Its Back, Hand Carved From Jade, Chinese.

A composite beast of ancient origin, mostly forgotten in Japan, but still popular today in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. The mythological dragon-headed, lion-bodied Pìxiū 貔貅 (also spelt 豼貅) were traditionally depicted in China as a male-female pair, one with a single horn (male, Pì 貔) and the other with two horns (female, Xiū 貅), but in modern times they each commonly appear with only one horn. In ancient China, statues of the two guarded the entrance to the tomb, as they are thought to ward off evil and protect wealth. In old China, the beasts were also commonly portrayed with hoofs, wings, and tails, and supposedly appeared on the banners of the emperor’s chariots (兵車に立てた旗). 

Item Code - JAD4B14147MPA

Width: 1 1/8"  Height: 2 1/2"  Depth: 3 1/4"  Weight: 140 g