Qing Dynasty, probably Qianlong period (1735-1795), celadon with brown inclusions, the female beast with leonine body crouching on four feet with hooked claws, head turned backwards with eyes glaring and mouth open in a roar, stylized wings at shoulders, a coat of luxuriant fur spilling over its defined spine, tail spread over its rump and displaying its gender, with fitted wood stand, 75-1/2 lbs., 12-3/4 x 19 x 8 in., excellent condition Provenance: Estate of Dr. Peggy Howard-Gwillim; The Bridge to Heaven Jade Collection Reserve: $20,000 This monumental jade Chimera came from the estate of Dr. Peggy Howard-Gwillim, physician, authoress, and champion of women's rights. She and her artist husband lived and raised thoroughbred race horses in Louisville, Kentucky. During the 1970s she and her husband made numerous trips to Russia and France, and it was on one of these trips to Russia that they reportedly bought this remarkable jade. There was also an anecdotal suggestion that it had been taken from China to Russia during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. Although the invading forces were made up of eight nations, the largest contingents were from Japan, Russia and England, in that order. The Japanese and US forces were not allowed to plunder, but the treasures of Qing palaces were ransacked by the others, especially the large Russian and British contingents. An archival report in the [New York Times] recounts how art dealers from the invading countries arrived on the scene and paid soldiers for art objects from the palaces. Russia also took advantage to the extent of occupying much of the northeastern province of Manchuria. Given the proximity of Moscow to Beijing, it should not be surprising that some of China's treasures wound up in the Russian capital. The jade used for this bixie is similar to a piece that can be found in the National Palace Museum in Beijing, being a nephrite boulder carved as a mountain with The Nine Elders of Huichang (56 x 40 x 12 in.), Qianlong period. Another piece of similar color and size is in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, carved as a mountain illustrating the Gathering of Poets at the Lan T'ing Pavilion, also Qianlong period. For a similar piece, see Skinner's, Boston, Massachusetts, December 4, 2010, lot 1030. Other jade animals of similar size to note: a large jade water buffalo, Woolley & Wallis, UK, November 17, 2010, lot 341; the Pelham water buffalo, Woolley & Wallis, UK, May 20, 2009, lot 388; a large jade horse, Sotheby's Hong Kong, May 2, 2005, lot 714.