A Chinese verte biscuit model of a 'Xiezhi' on wooden stand, 19th C.

H.: 41,5 cm (incl. stand)
H.: 37 cm (the model)

Mentions of the xiezhi in Chinese literature can be traced back to the Han Dynasty, where it is described by the scholar Yang Fu as a "righteous beast, which rams the wrong party when it sees a fight, and bites the wrong party when it hears an argument". It is also described in the Shuowen Jiezi as being "a cattle-like beast with one horn; in ancient times, it settled disputes by ramming the party at fault".