Help me find the chimera of her dreams

January 4, 2009 1:54 PM

I badly want to buy a replica of the statue seen here.

It's a chimera, the original is from China in the Han dynasty, and the label on the one I saw, at the Chicago Institute of Art, claimed that it was a "tomb statue." My searching was good enough to find the picture, but not a purchase option, and it's too lovable not to exist somewhere.

If you find something similar but not exact, please know that the way it's pushing it's butt in the air is key, here.

posted by longtime_lurker to shopping (2 comments total)

Couldn't find an exact modern copy on a fairly cursory search and I'm no expert on this stuff, but fairly sure it's what's known in Chinese as a 辟邪 (bì xié which is something like "averter of evil" literally, which was their ritual function). There are other terms (e.g. 有翼神兽 "winged divine beast"） to help add to the confusion, but I'm not any specialist and can't say which would be the most accurate descriptor of the piece you have pictured.
Searches for 辟邪 and e.g. 仿古 ("reproduction antique") on Chinese shopping sites turn up similar candidates, close but no joss stick. If you have any way to find a Chinese speaker to help you with a more thorough search，perhaps adding terms for "Western Han" (西汉) etc. you may find something to suit. Alternatively, perhaps contact the museum for a detailed description in Chinese and then get this putative person to have a look online at the repro stores for you (or MeMail me and I'll have another go).
posted by Abiezer at 3:08 PM on January 4

Don't ask the museum employees (except in the gift shop) how to buy a replica of their collection. They (including me) don't know the answer; it's not our job to know things like that.
posted by Jason and Laszlo at 9:44 PM on January 18