苏富比 万象灵犀 仇炎之仇大雄藏犀角拍卖 Rhinoceros Horn Carvings from The Edward (2)

上海博物馆举办仇大雄先生及其家人捐赠文物仪式
来源：上海博物馆 时间：2015.07.29

2015年5月29日，上海博物馆接受瑞士华裔收藏家仇大雄先生捐赠珍贵明清犀角杯的仪式在上博一楼影视中心举行。仇大雄先生携家属专程来沪出席。

仇大雄先生出身于收藏世家，是当今全球最重要的古代犀角器收藏家之一。其父仇焱之曾是上海滩上著名的文物商人，瓷器收藏在业内具有相当的影响力。1949年，仇焱之先生赴香港发展，成为第一批南下香港的收藏家；此后不久，又举家移居瑞士日内瓦。长期耳濡目染于父亲的雅好，仇大雄先生也走上了收藏之路，并在犀角器收藏领域中取得极大成就。

长期以来，仇氏家族都与上海博物馆保持着良好的友谊。仇大雄先生更是对上海博物馆极为友善，他曾经促成上博与瑞士方面合作，成功举办多个展览；也曾多次向上海博物馆捐赠文物，涉及漆器、瓷器和犀角杯等多个品类。

此次仇大雄先生捐赠明清犀角器，是他多年收藏中的精品。捐赠之前，他提出不限定数量与品种，由上海博物馆根据收藏和研究的需要任意挑选，上博最终选定了十件作品。

犀角雕刻艺术是中国古代工艺美术的重要品类，用料珍贵、工艺精美，集中体现了古代中国人物尽其用的价值观念和巧夺天工的艺术创造力，其工艺水准在明清时期达到巅峰。作为杰出的艺术瑰宝，犀角器历来受到各国藏家与机构的重视，但据研究统计，存世的中国古代犀角器仅有数千件，而其中绝大多数流散在海外。目前世界上收藏中国古代犀角器最多的地方是爱尔兰的切斯特·比棣图书馆，有200多件。而合并我国收藏犀角器最多的单位——两岸故宫博物院与上海博物馆全部的犀角器收藏，也仅仅只有300余件，不足存世量的十分之一。这不仅意味着中华民族珍贵的物质文化遗产的失落，也导致我们对这一珍贵遗产的研究长期落后于世界水平。因此仇大雄先生此次捐赠的这批明清犀角器对提高我国犀角器的收藏和研究水平具有非常重要的意义。

在明清两代犀角雕刻艺术品中，制作于18世纪以前、也就是清前期及更早年代的作品本就稀少和珍贵，如果是署有款识的名家之作就更属难得。此次仇大雄先生捐赠的这10件作品，全部用料考究、雕刻精美，且80%是属于明代和清前期的作品，具有极高的艺术价值，是仇先生收藏中的精品。特别是其中两件署有明末清初犀角雕刻名家周文枢款的作品，代表了当时山水题材犀角雕刻艺术的最高水平，在学术研究上也有十分重要的意义。

由于犀角工艺品的价格昂贵，收藏家的慷慨捐赠就成为博物馆扩大古代犀角器收藏最重要的渠道，如爱尔兰切斯特·比棣图书馆的200多件、美国哈佛大学博物馆的70多件、日本大阪市立美术馆的50多件中国古代犀角艺术品，均受赠于私人收藏家。仇大雄先生出于珍视和保护文化遗产初衷而进行的捐赠极其珍贵和难得。由于犀角属于濒危物种国际贸易公约内的物种，根据现行法规是严禁进出境的。仇先生捐赠的这批犀角器能够最终顺利从香港引进并入藏上博，要感谢上海市濒危办、国家濒危办以及国家文物局从中给予的大力支持与帮助，使得这些流散在海外的国宝能够回归家乡。

为了感谢仇大雄先生捐赠文物的热忱和无私精神，上海博物馆特别为仇大雄先生举办捐赠仪式。在仪式上，上海博物馆馆长杨志刚回顾了仇大雄先生及其家人长年来对上海博物馆的深厚友情，感谢他们对上博的信任和重托，表示上海博物馆将珍视这些文物，使之得到妥善保藏并发挥积极作用，不辜负捐赠者对上海博物馆的殷切期望。

2721
A SMALL FIGURAL RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
MING DYNASTY, 16TH CENTURY

Estimate 500,000 — 700,000 HKD
LOT SOLD. 4,220,000 HKD

DETAILS & CATALOGUING

A SMALL FIGURAL RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
MING DYNASTY, 16TH CENTURY
the honey-toned round cup carved on the exterior with three boys navigating along the edge of a rocky cliff, one of the boys depicted grasping the openwork trunk of a flowering tree with one hand while finding his footing along the narrow ridge and holding a leaf with his free hand, on the other side two boys brace each other on the edge of a rocky path, further along peonies spring from the rocks, the interior lightly carved with the jagged edges of the cliff

width 11.5 cm., 4 1/2 in.

CONDITION REPORT
Apart from a dry matte surface and a small 2mm hole filled on the exterior base, the overall condiion is quite good.

SALEROOM NOTICE
PROVENANCE
Sotheby’s New York, 25th September 1986, lot 274.
Collection of Franklin Chow.
LITERATURE
Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 158.
CATALOGUE NOTE
inely carved with an image of children at play, a design sporadically seen on rhinoceros horn vessels, this bowl is appealing for its deep carving and weighty form, possibly intended to contain water for the scholar’s table where it would have been placed together with his other materials for writing and painting. The light honey tone, which is the natural colouration of the vessel is especially pleasing, and suggests an early attribution. Jan Chapman in The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, op.cit., p. 60, notes that the yellow and honey colours are thought to be the result of the natural ageing process of the horn and some of the earliest known carvings are described as being yellow in colour. Vessels of this light tone are almost invariably associated with the best quality carvings. The exceptional finish of the base, in the form of a smooth rock, is also worth noting. Although the base is not exposed, the carver has nevertheless fashioned it with great care, displaying the high level of attention paid to every detail.

The inspiration for the design is possibly from slightly earlier, Chenghua period (1463-1487), doucai cups painted with boys at play in a rocky garden setting, as seen on a cup included in the Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Ch’eng-hua Porcelain Ware, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2003, cat. no. 139.

Compare also a cup depicting playing children, sold in these rooms, 20th November 1984, lot 526; and another from the collection of George Headley, sold at Christie’s New York, 1st December 1983, lot 715.

2720
A FIGURAL RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
QING DYNASTY, 17TH / 18TH CENTURY

Estimate 700,000 — 900,000 HKD
LOT SOLD. 4,340,000 HKD
DETAILS & CATALOGUING

A FIGURAL RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
QING DYNASTY, 17TH / 18TH CENTURY
the amber and black toned horn carved with the scene of King Wen of Zhou inviting the retired scholar Jiang Ziya to return to official duties, the scholar seen opposite the handle seated beneath a willow tree fishing on the banks of the a river with the king standing next to him, behind a rock an attendant stands holding a large fan, on the opposite side a canopy and fan float above the clouds, the handle formed by openwork paulownia and pine trees intertwined with a large rocky outcrop, the pine tree extending over the lip and on to the interior
width 15.2 cm., 6 in.

CONDITION REPORT
The overall condition is quite good. There are some minor repair along the mouth to small insect holes and fills to the age cracks. The foot has a few minor repairs to a couple small filled holes and age cracks covered with a little paint. The patina is very smooth.

SALEROOM NOTICE

PROVENANCE
Christie’s London, 8th June 1987, lot 129.
Collection of Franklin Chow.

EXHIBITED
Craving for Carvings: Rhinoceros Horn from the Chow Collection, Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, 2003, cat. no. fc49.

LITERATURE
Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 161.

CATALOGUE NOTE
The deep and fluid fashioning of three figures in a rocky landscape makes this vessel an especially fine example amongst figural landscape carvings. The story depicted on the vessel is that of the legend of Jiang Ziya, also known as Taigong Wang (The Great Duke’s Hope), who was called upon by King Wen of the Zhou dynasty to serve as his prime minister. The scene on the cup shows King Wen’s encounter with Jiang who is seated on the bank of the river Wei fishing. Following this meeting Jiang was invited to the king’s court where he served two generations of Zhou rulers and became one of China’s greatest military strategists. While the two figures on the cup are depicted as scholars, reference to their identity, especially to that of the emperor, is made by the third figure hiding behind a rock holding the king’s fan. Another fan can be seen in the background next to a half concealed imperial canopy. Both the fan and the canopy are associated with royalty. The image carved on this cup has many Confucian connotations, making it a suitable gift to a scholar or official.

For examples of rhinoceros horn carvings with historical figures see one in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, carved with the figure of Wei Shu Xiang, included in Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 286; and another, depicting the poet Li Bai, formerly in the collection of Dr. Ip Yee and now in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published ibid., pl. 288.

2715
A ‘LOTUS LEAF’ RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
17TH CENTURY

17世纪 犀角雕莲花双蕾承叶杯

此器巧雕妙制，艺匠放弃平常所用的浅刻的手法，于器身浮雕叶脉，栩栩如生，底部透雕花蕾枝茎，生机盎然。一般犀角雕莲花杯多以卷茎做底，此角杯则以三茎交缠巧承卷叶，匠心独特，缀以黍子。
禾黍缀荷杯，柔韧有力，并饰禾荷，有和合之意。寄语年年和睦，永结同心。荷花又以清雅脱俗著称，出泥不染，“中通外直，不蔓不枝”，恰与君子文人刚正清高之品同。

Estimate 1,200,000 — 1,500,000 HKD
LOT SOLD. 4,820,000 HKD

DETAILS & CATALOGUING

RHINOCEROS HORN CARVINGS FROM THE EDWARD
08 APRIL 2011 | 10:00 AM HKT
HONG KONG
CONTACT INFO
A ‘LOTUS LEAF’ RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
17TH CENTURY
the well-polished horn of chestnut tone, carved in low relief around the exterior of the shallow wide-mouth cup with the fine veins of a furled lotus leaf, enveloped by two thin reeds, the openwork handle on one side with three intertwining stalks tied together by the tips of the reeds and extending to the base, resting on two small lotus bud feet, the interior left plain save for the subtle wavy contours imitating a leaf’s natural shape, wooden stand

width 15 cm., 5 7/8 in.

CONDITION REPORT
The overall condition is very good except for a few small areas of insect holes. The holes are on the front of the body beneath the reeds. They are only on the exterior and not visible on the interior. There are a few other holes on the handles. The polish is very smooth.

SALEROOM NOTICE

PROVENANCE
Collections of Edward T. Chow (purchased in Hong Kong, 1972) and Franklin Chow.

EXHIBITED
Craving for Carvings: Rhinoceros Horn from the Chow Collection, Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, 2003, cat. no. fc11.

CATALOGUE NOTE
This cup is a superb example of what is possibly one of the most popular decorative themes in the rhinoceros horn carver’s repertoire – the lotus leaf and flower. While it displays characteristic elements seen on cups of this design, such as the veining on the exterior of the leaf, the lotus stems and buds, this vessel stands out for the unusual fashioning of its foot which is in the form of three entwining stalks. The carver has created an openwork design by binding the stalks together with the millet grass. While stalks are frequently made into a ring-base for the vessel, this carver has created an original design. Nature was also on the forefront of the carver’s mind when rendering the veins of the leaf which he has outlined in low relief rather than simply incising them.

The millet grass that binds the lotus leaf and the stems is important for a number of reasons; it gives the design a sense of strength; and the combination of the lotus leaf and millet grass together form the visual pun hehe (harmony) that expresses the wish for ‘living in harmony year after year’. The lotus itself is the symbol of purity and uncontaminated beauty, and is associated with the pure and virtuous character of the gentry and scholar-literati.

Edward Chow in his notes describes the cup as keai ji zhi (‘beautiful and adorable’) and praises the skills of the carver for producing a delicate piece which he found unusual for its time. He also mentions that the cup is ‘in the style of Cheng and Hong (you Cheng Hong zuo feng)’. Cheng Hong represents the period between the Chenghua and Hongzhi reigns of the Ming dynasty, suggesting a strong Ming period influence on the decoration.

Although no other similar example appears to be recorded, a cup from the Murray bequest and now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated in Craig Clunas, Chinese Carving, London, 1996, fig. 31, uses two intertwining stems to form the base that extend upwards to become the handle of the vessel. Another related cup is published in Dr. Ip Yee, ‘Notes on a collection of Chinese rhinoceros horn carvings’, International Asian Antiques Fair, Hong Kong, 1982, p. 35, pl. 28; and a third, in the form of a large lotus leaf carved with the lotus stalks and millet grass tied together by a ribbon, from the collection of Thomas Fok, is included in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 97.

2703
A RETICULATED STEM ‘LOTUS LEAF’ RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
17TH CENTURY

Estimate 900,000 — 1,200,000 HKD
LOT SOLD. 4,820,000 HKD
DETAILS & CATALOGUING

RHINOCEROS HORN CARVINGS FROM THE EDWARD
08 APRIL 2011 | 10:00 AM HKT
HONG KONG
CONTACT INFO
A RETICULATED STEM ‘LOTUS LEAF’ RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
17TH CENTURY
the highly polished amber and black coloured conically shaped horn carved in the form of a furled lotus leaf forming the cup, with subtle veining on both the interior and exterior, wrapped on the exterior with high-relief lotus flowers, with further lotus leaves and reeds all issuing from long thin intertwining reticulated stalks tapering to a point, the base detailed with the small holes of cut stalks, the rim of the interior set with a water weed and a small floret to one end, wooden stand

height 17 cm., 6 3/4 in.

CONDITION REPORT
Apart from a 5 mm triangular nibble on the rim of the back of the horn and a 6 mm indentation from a insect hole that does not go all the way through to the interior, the overall condition is very good. The patina is very attractive and surface is highly polished.

SALEROOM NOTICE

PROVENANCE
Collections of Edward T. Chow (purchased in London, 1968) and Franklin Chow.

EXHIBITED
One Man’s Taste. Treasures from the Lakeside Pavilion, Galleries of the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1988, cat. no. R12.
Craving for Carvings: Rhinoceros Horn from the Chow Collection, Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, 2003, cat. no. fc12.

LITERATURE
Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 96.

CATALOGUE NOTE
This cup belongs to the well known group of vessels in the form of a large lotus leaf with buds, blossoms and smaller leaves born on slender long stalks. It is carved in openwork that shows the original conical shape of the material. The craftsman has skilfully made use of the entire length of the horn with the solid tip transformed into the stems of the plant. Jan Chapman in The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pp. 72-73, notes that the hollow cavity of an Asian horn is the natural shape of a leaf, and both the inner and outer surfaces can be engraved to show the typical vein markings.

Purchased in 1968, Edward Chow describes this cup as shengdong ziran (‘lyrical and picturesque’) with the foliage rendered in a vivid and naturalistic fashion. He further notes that the carver has made the vessel with great care and has produced a masterpiece.

The inspiration for cups of this type may have come from one of the earliest carvings known from the Qing Court collection, which also uses the entire horn: a cup in the form of a mallow-flower, attributed to the early Ming dynasty and illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 109.

For related lotus leaf cups where the original shape of the horn has been skilfully preserved see one, in the collection of Mr. Michel de Selys Longchamps, included in Fok, op.cit., pl. 95; and another, in the collection of Dora Wang, exhibited at the Sackler Museum in Washington D.C. and illustrated in the World Journal (Shijie Zhou Kan), no. 852, 2000, p. 12. Compare also two fine cups of this type sold in our London rooms, 31st October 1986, lot 175, and 27th October 1989, lot 186.

Whole horns were also used for making a completely different type of vessel. They were fashioned to represent a large lotus leaf with a long stalk, but by bending the tip of the horn upward a sprout was created for a water dropper. For examples of water droppers, see one published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, op.cit., pl. 115; another included in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carvings, Beijing, 2004, pl. 207; and a third from the collection of Arthur M. Sackler, illustrated in Fok, op.cit., pl. 100, together with a cup in the Shanghai Museum, pl. 101.

2717
A ‘PINE AND MAPLE’ RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
QING DYNASTY, KANGXI PERIOD

Estimate 700,000 — 900,000 HKD
LOT SOLD. 5,060,000 HKD

DETAILS & CATALOGUING

A ‘PINE AND MAPLE’ RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
QING DYNASTY, KANGXI PERIOD
the conical horn of auburn tone and a smooth patina, carved with a handle to one side formed by the reticulated trunks of a pine tree and a dead tree trunk wrapped with hanging vines, their branches extending around the side of the vessel, set opposite a small waterfall and an arched bridge between two cliffs, the sides further carved with lush maple trees growing on the banks, the interior left plain, the foot inscribed in relief in xingshu (running script) with a six-character poem zai hu shan shui zhi jian (‘It is all between the mountains and steams’)

width 14 cm., 5 1/2 in.

CONDITION REPORT
There are a few filled nibbles and insect holes around the rim, but the overall condition is very good. The surface patina is very smooth and well polished.

SALEROOM NOTICE

PROVENANCE
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 20th May 1986, 174.
Collection of Franklin Chow.
EXHIBITED
Craving for Carvings: Rhinoceros Horn from the Chow Collection, Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, 2003, cat. no. fc56.
CATALOGUE NOTE
The exceptional quality of the carving of this cup continues with the beautiful calligraphy written in xingshu script on the base. It reads and may be translated as follows:

Zai hu shan shui zhi jian.
It is all between the mountains and the streams.

This famous quote is from the work of the Northern Song dynasty statesman, historian, writer and poet Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072) titled Zui Weng Ting Ji (The Record of the Pavilion of the Old Drunkard). Ouyang wrote this essay in 1046 when he was appointed taishou (Grand Warden) at Chuzhou in Anhui province. In it he describes the picturesque and natural beauty of Chuzhou and portrays the simple life of its peasant folk. However, Ouyang was bitterly disappointed and frustrated at being sent there as he felt that his talent was not recognized. In Chuzhou he spent his days drinking and became famous for entertaining his guests and getting drunk in a pavilion built by a Buddhist priest, which he named Zui Weng Ting (Pavilion of the Old Drunkard) after himself.

The superb carving of this cup is reminiscent of the work of the master carver Zhou Wenshu. The whole exterior is modelled as a cliff face with the roots of several pine trees emerging from crevices in the rock. The handle is fashioned in the form of two pines whose main branches stretch over the sides of the cup and are festooned with vines. For examples of carvings by Zhou see a cup decorated with a rocky landscape and pine trees, the rock face of the cliff incised in seal script with the three characters Wenshu zhi (made by Wenshu), from the collection of Harvard University Art Museums, included in Fok, ibid., pl. 131. Another vessel, in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, carved with a landscape and signed and dated by Zhou, is published in Jan Chapman, ‘The Chester Beatty Collection of Chinese Carved Rhinoceros Horn Cups’, Arts of Asia, May-June 1982, p. 78, pl. 16.

Compare also a cup from the collection of Kenyon V. Painter, Cleveland, carved with pine, paulownia and flowering trees scattered across mountain cliffs and high rocks, sold in our New York rooms, 19th March 2007, lot 380; and another, from the Estate of Nils Nessim, Stockholm, sold at Christie’s New York, 25th March 2010, lot 819, depicting trees amidst rock formations. A third cup carved in high relief with a tree-strewn landscape, the handle formed by the stout branches of a pine tree, sold at Christie’s Paris, 15th June 2005, lot 231, and again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27th May 2008, lot 1707.

2718
A RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP WITH HAWKS
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

Estimate 1,500,000 — 2,500,000 HKD
LOT SOLD. 5,420,000 HKD

DETAILS & CATALOGUING

A RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP WITH HAWKS
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY
the maroon coloured conical horn carved as a pine tree trunk with two high-relief birds on the back of the horn, one hawk standing on a pine branch, the second bird depicted in flight with wings outstretched and feet drawn towards the body set at the rim, the gnarled pine branches wrapped around the trunk and extending over the rim onto the interior, the surface further lightly carved with patches of pine bark

width 16 cm., 6 1/4 in.

CONDITION REPORT
The overall condition is very good with only a small repair to a 3 cm crack from the rim that is masked by the pine tree and branches. The surface is slightly matte.

SALEROOM NOTICE

PROVENANCE
Spink & Son, London, 1978.
Collections of Edward T. Chow and Franklin Chow.
EXHIBITED
One Man’s Taste. Treasures from the Lakeside Pavilion, Galleries of the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1988, cat. no. R15.
Craving for Carvings: Rhinoceros Horn from the Chow Collection, Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, 2003, cat. no. fc15.
LITERATURE
Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 169.
CATALOGUE NOTE
The carving of this vessel is especially fine with the two hawks strategically placed to take advantage of the material’s organic form and fibrous inclusions. The natural groove running down the long curve of the horn is particularly deep. The pair of hawks are described by Edward Chow in his notes as you li (‘strong’). The artist has successfully transferred the image of the hawk, well known from Tang dynasty mural paintings, into a three-dimensional composition. See a Tang painting depicting a hunting scene, from the west mural in the second tunnel of the tomb of Prince Yide in Qian, Shaanxi province, illustrated in Sekai bijutsu taizenshu: Toyo hen, vol. 4, Tokyo, 1997, p. 31.

Bird of prey such as hawks and eagles (ying) represent the hero in Chinese art as its name is homophonous with the character for hero (yingxiong). A flying hawk conveys the wish for attaining a journey of ten thousand miles (pengcheng wanli) and the wish for a long and successful career.

Rhinoceros horn vessels bearing the design of birds are rare, although a cup deeply carved with a bird of prey, possibly a hawk, swooping down against a background of waves, in the Chester Beatty collection is included in Jan Chapman, ‘The Chester Beatty Collection of Chinese Carved Rhinoceros Horn Cups’, Arts of Asia, May-June 1982, p. 78, fig. 13. Another cup, carved with a richly plumed hawk perched on one of the branches while, on the opposite side, another swoops down in flight, was offered in our New York rooms, 30th March 2006, lot 135. A third example depicting a pair of doves, flying above jagged rockwork, was sold in our London rooms, 13th July 2005, lot 108.

See also a cup carved with a design of mandarin duck and lotus, bearing the seal of the late Ming period master carver You Kan, formerly in the collection of Dr. Ip Yee and now in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 127.

2707
A ‘LOTUS LEAF AND DRAGONS’ RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
17TH CENTURY

Estimate 1,500,000 — 2,000,000 HKD
LOT SOLD. 6,620,000 HKD
JUMP TO LOT
IMAGE ZOOM

DETAILS & CATALOGUING

the amber and black-toned broad shallow cup carved in the form of a furled lotus leaf with fine veins, resting on a short curled stem, further carved with five playful high-relief chilong clambering along the interior and exterior, two of the dragons forming the openwork handle on one side, the head of one peeking over the rim coming face to face with a smaller dragon on the interior, inscribed on the interior with Boya Shiling jingke (‘Shiling respectfully presents “Boya” [this cup] to his guests’), the patina smoothly polished

width 19.3 cm., 7 5/8 in.

CONDITION REPORT
Apart from a few minor insect holes on the exterior (on the smallest chilong and the tail of the largest) and a minor repair to the tip of the stem and a small fill to the exterior near the tail of the largest dragon, the overall condition is very good.

SALEROOM NOTICE

PROVENANCE
Christie’s London, 8th April 1981, lot 19.
Collection of Franklin Chow (purchased in Switzerland, 1985).

EXHIBITED
Craving for Carvings: Rhinoceros Horn from the Chow Collection, Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, 2003, cat. no. fc61.
LITERATURE
Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999. pl. 126.
Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 24.

CATALOGUE NOTE
In the form of a curled lotus leaf with distinct veins inside and out, this cup is exquisite for its pleasing form, finely carved chilong decoration and the high level of finish, noticeable especially on the base, that reflect the carver’s attention to every detail. The vessel bears a six-character inscription which runs parallel to the lip edge on the interior. It reads and may be translated as follows:
Bo Ya shiling jingke.
Shiling respectfully presents “Boya” [this cup] to his guests.

It is possible that Shiling is the owner’s name and that Boya is the name of the cup.

The handle of this cup is fashioned in the form of a large chilong clutching the mouth of the rim. Its modelling is imbued with elegance and vitality. A number of smaller chilong can be found on both the interior and exterior of the vessel, all expertly fashioned to appear lively and spirited and bringing strength and movement to the vessel.

While this cup stands out for its large size, its base is especially noteworthy. The stalk of the lotus leaf is made into a ring forming a foot for the cup. Chapman, ibid., pp. 94-95, illustrates a cup in the Museum voor Volkenkunde, Rotterdam, pl. 83, that also uses the stems of the lotus plant to provide the base and the handle.
Chilong can be found on a lotus-leaf form cup, in the collection of Thomas Fok, illustrated in Fok, op.cit., pl. 3; on another sold in our London rooms, 13th July 2005, lot 104; and on a cup sold in our New York rooms, 30th March 2006, lot 132.

2709
A ‘LOTUS LEAF AND CHILONG’ RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
17TH CENTURY

17世纪 犀角雕莲叶螭龙杯

此器宽流有别于一般犀角杯，透若凝脂，色如甘蜜，器侧巧雕螭龙攀叶，或大或小，簇拥交缠。形似莲叶，内外细刻脉络。犀角雕螭龙并不罕见，但艺匠于杯口外沿巧雕小蜗牛，缓缓上爬，题材新颖，精致可爱。雕螭龙，饰水波，顿添动感。缀蜗牛，欲显闲静。
犀角雕螭龙，属于重要且普遍的角雕动物纹饰，多雕于仿古犀角器物上。

Estimate 3,000,000 — 5,000,000 HKD
LOT SOLD. 6,620,000 HKD

DETAILS & CATALOGUING

the dark amber-coloured horn carved in the form of a finely veined furled lotus leaf with one large dragon and five smaller chilong clambering around the vessel on the interior and exterior, the playful dragons all carved in high relief and openwork depicted in various contorted positions, the largest dragon forming the handle beneath a smaller lotus pad on the rim while two peer over the rim at a smaller dragon on the interior, the exterior further set with a small snail slithering down the side, all supported on a band of waves crashing against the foot, the surface with a smooth patina
width 19 cm., 7 1/2 in.

CONDITION REPORT
A section of the foot has been restuck – 4 x 3 x 2 cm and there is a 3 mm section on the rim that has been filled. A section of the handle has been slightly restored with an 8 mm fill, possibly to stabilise some age cracks. There is a small insect hole on the exterior near the rim that does not go all the way through to the interior. However, the overall condition is still quite good and the patina is very smooth.

SALEROOM NOTICE

PROVENANCE
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 20th November 1985, lot 269.
Collection of Franklin Chow.
CATALOGUE NOTE
This cup features an unusually wide mouth, rich translucent honey-tone colouration and fine carving of numerous entwined large and small chilong on the body and under the lip. The strong veining of the lotus leaf, which is carried out on both the interior and the exterior of the vessel is also worth noting. While the design is well known from vessels of this type, the carver has added an original and humorous touch to his work: a small climbing snail placed just below the spout. While the chilong represent action, as do the waves depicted with a prominent spume around the base, the snail brings a sense of natural calmness.

The chilong is possibly one of the most important and widely used animals in the horn carvers’ repertoire. They are most frequently depicted on carvings in the archaistic style; for example see a cup in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, illustrated in Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999. p. 178, pl. 234, where the author notes the importance of dragons in animal carvings. The dragon represents the emperor himself, but also acts as the beneficent ‘bringer of rain’ (Chapman, ibid., p. 178).

For lotus leaf form vessels carved with chilong see one from the collection of Thomas Fok included in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 50, pl. 3, where the author notes that this type of decorative style is reminiscent of the jade waterpots of the Southern Song dynasty. The Fok cup was subsequently sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27th May 2008, lot 1718. Another related lotus leaf form cup carved in low relief with chilong, the base in the form of a well-defined whirlpool and the handle carved with a dragon, from the collection of Dr. Ip Yee, is illustrated in Dr. Ip Yee, ‘Chinese Rhinoceros Horn Carvings’, International Asian Antiques Fair, Hong Kong, 1982, p. 33, pl. 24. See further two cups sold in our London rooms, 13th May 2009, lot 75, and 13th June 2005, lot 104; and one sold at Christie’s London, 7th November 2006, lot 48.

2722
A LARGE RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP WITH CRANES
17TH CENTURY

Estimate 1,800,000 — 2,500,000 HKD
LOT SOLD. 7,220,000 HKD
DETAILS & CATALOGUING

finely carved on the exterior with tall crane standing beneath a lofty pine along the banks of a turbulent sea with waves crashing over rocks, the reverse with a second crane swooping down over the water before jagged cliffs, the openwork handle formed by the trunks of a pine tree and peach tree, the branches all intertwined with hanging vines extending over the mouth and on to the interior, with further lingzhi and orchids springing out from the sides of the cliffs, all set between wispy clouds around the mouth and swirling waves on the base, the horn of chocolate-brown tone and a smooth patina
width 20.1 cm., 7 7/8 in.

READ CONDITION REPORT
The overall condition is very good with only a 1.5 cm filled age crack to the mouth and some light nibbling to the area around the split. The patina remains in very good condition.

SALEROOM NOTICE

PROVENANCE
Spink & Son, London, 1978.
Collections of Edward T. Chow and Franklin Chow.

LITERATURE
Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 144.
CATALOGUE NOTE
This finely modelled and exquisitely rendered cup is full of auspicious symbolism. Cranes are generally associated with Shou Lao, the God of Immortality, who is often depicted riding on the back of a crane. The vigorously modelled pine tree that rises to the rim of the vessel also symbolizes longevity, as the pine is evergreen and is known to live for a long time. The design further includes the lingzhi fungus with the auspicious herb lancao growing on the cliff, all representing the wish for an eternal life. There is also a seasonal reference to spring through the flower – orchid – seen depicted below the spout. Cups of this design were made as birthday gifts or for special celebratory occasions. The vessel is also special for its magnificent size, being one of the largest in the collection.

A cup decorated in low relief with a pair of cranes, parrots and phoenix, against a rocky background, in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, is illustrated in Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 253. See another cup sold at Christie’s New York, 19th September 2007, lot 3, carved with two cranes, one standing and one soaring in the air.

The animated and high-crested waves around the base are reminiscent of those carved on a lotus form vessel, the lower portion of the body decorated with a dragon emerging from highly stylized tumultuous waves, from the collection of Dr. Ip Yee, included in ‘Chinese Rhinoceros Horn Carvings’, International Asian Antiques Fair, Hong Kong, 1982, pl. 25. Another cup decorated with waves and bats, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 149.

2716
A VERY RARE ‘GRAPE VINE’ RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP, SIGNED ZI ZHEN
17TH CENTURY

17世纪 《子贞》款 犀角雕葡萄多子杯

此件犀角杯器型硕大，形态优雅端庄。取葡萄叶形，翻卷自如。自口沿满缀葡萄串串，藤蔓相缠，立体浮雕，刻画入微。流偏长，柄较宽，可见角杯同取材自亚洲犀角，器柄部分乃犀牛鼻上硬件组织。
明朝时候，葡萄纹饰甚为普遍，常见于明青花瓷器上。常见相关纹样还有“松鼠葡萄”，有多子多孙之意。

Estimate 6,000,000 — 8,000,000 HKD
LOT SOLD. 8,420,000 HKD

DETAILS & CATALOGUING

THIS IS A PREMIUM LOT. CLIENTS WHO WISH TO BID ON PREMIUM LOTS ARE REQUESTED TO COMPLETE THE PREMIUM LOT PRE-REGISTRATION 3 WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO THE SALE. BIDnow ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE.

the broad shallow cup formed by a furled grape leaf, finely carved on the exterior in high relief with plump grapes growing from vines and curling tendrils extending down from the sides, the handle formed by gnarled twisted vines, all resting on a bed of grapes forming the foot, the interior incised with the fine veins of the leaf, signed on the exterior in low relief Zi Zhen, the horn of rich auburn tone

width 19 cm., 7 1/2 in.
READ CONDITION REPORT
Apart from a few minor nibbles and a few minor insect holes, the overall condition is very good. There is a small section of an openwork vine on the mouth that is missing and quite possibly a section of the handle may have been polished down near the base of the handle.

SALEROOM NOTICE
PROVENANCE
Sotheby’s New York, 10/11th April 1986, lot 294.
Collection of Franklin Chow.
LITERATURE
Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 107.
CATALOGUE NOTE
The two-character inscription in seal script, stet between grape vines on the front, reads Zi Zhen. Bao Yanli, Deputy Director and Research Associate at the Shanghai Museum believes that the inscription was made by the carver. It may be the carver’s name or his style name (zi). Although there is no record of Zi Zhen, a lotus form washer carved with a single crab, in the Shanghai Museum, bears the same two character signature.

This magnificent piece, fashioned as a large grape leaf with finely rendered veins and richly laden with large succulent grapes is a quirky example of a small group of rhinoceros horn carvings decorated with the fruit design. The cup is elegantly shaped and expertly fashioned; even the lip of the vessel is frilled in the form of a grape leaf with the fruit rendered in high relief bulging over the exterior of the surface. The exceptional quality and size of the material is also noteworthy.

The fruiting grapevine as a subject was especially popular in the Ming dynasty, and was frequently painted on early Ming blue and white wares such as the dish recovered from the waste heaps of the Ming Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen included in the exhibition Imperial Hongwu and Yongle Porcelain Excavated at Jingdezhen, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1996, pl. 44. Grapes are also depicted with squirrels forming a popular motif that represent the wish for many children and ceaseless generations of sons and grandsons (songshu putao).

For related pieces, see a rhinoceros horn cup decorated with grape branches, leaves and fruit, in the Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde, Munich, illustrated in Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999. pl. 222; another in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, illustrated in Jan Chapman, ‘Rhinoceros Horn Carvings and their Buffalo Horn Imitations’, Orientations, January 1988, p. 41, fig.1; and a third example carved with the ‘Grape and Squirrel’ theme, included in the exhibition One Man’s Taste. Treasures from the Lakeside Pavilion, Galleries of the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1988, cat. no. R13, from the collection of Edward Chow. Two cups decorated with grapes, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, are published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pls.114 and 130, the latter made by using a whole horn. Compare also a grape vine cup in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, published in Craig Clunas, Chinese Carving, London, 1996, fig. 35; one sold at Christie’s New York, 22nd March 2007, lot 154; and one from the Estate of Cyrus Jasperse, sold in our New York rooms, 13th June 1979, lot 133.

2714
A FIGURAL LANDSCAPE RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
QING DYNASTY, 17TH / 18TH CENTURY

Estimate 800,000 — 1,200,000 HKD
LOT SOLD. 8,420,000 HKD

DETAILS & CATALOGUING

the tall horn carved on the exterior with a continuous landscape with three figures in front of a walled compound along the banks of a turbulent body of water looking at a dragon on the opposite side, the opposite bank with trees and small huts all partially concealed by wispy clouds, one end of the horn set with a openwork handle formed by the trunk of a pine tree and the body of a climbing dragon twisting his way through the cliffs and clouds and breaking through to the interior of the cup, the horn of auburn tone

width 15 cm., 6 in.

CONDITION REPORT

The overall condition is quite good with only the two whiskers of the dragon each missing a small section, a polished 3 x 2 cm section on the interior to probably an insect hole that does not emerge through to the exterior. The base has a 4.5 cm diameter patch that has been added to the foot carved with rocks. The patch may have been done around the time of carving or shortly thereafter. The mouth appears to have been slightly reduced. The front end of the rim (opposite the dragon) has a 1.5 cm V-shaped reduction that has been cleverly incorporated into the design of the vessel.
SALEROOM NOTICE

PROVENANCE
Collection of Franklin Chow (purchased in Munich, 1978).

CATALOGUE NOTE
Although rhinoceros horn cups decorated with figures in a landscape are readily found, the present vessel is distinctive for its carving of a large, ferocious scaly dragon forming the handle. The combination of figural landscape and dragon motif makes this vessel unique with no other similar example recorded. The huge mythical animal is depicted climbing up the side of the cup and is peering over the lip. In the continuous landscape scene of rocks, water, trees, pavilions seen through swirling clouds there are three figures: a young boy accompanied by two elderly gentlemen both pointing to the dragon. The dragon in this design is a reference to the well known story of the old dragon teaching its young (canglong jiaozi); a story that came to represent the elderly official teaching his son how to succeed him and his wish for his boy to carry on his official position for generations to come.

Acquired in 1978, this cup was Franklin Chow’s first addition to the Chow collection of horn carvings. The carving is meticulously executed, even the base is fashioned after the surface of a rock. The dragon brings a sense of surprise and vitality to the modelling which is imbued with elegance. The carver has skilfully undertaken the technical challenge of weaving the body of the dragon in and out between the pine tree and the clouds. It is an exceptionally fine cup with a charming subject matter – perhaps made as a gift from father to son.

Large scaly dragons are commonly depicted amongst waves, a reference to one passing the civil service examination when the carp, swimming upstream, transforms into a dragon. For examples of carvings with the ‘dragon and wave’ design see a cup with a vigorous scaly dragon carved as the handle, in the collection of the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, included in Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999. pl. 234. Another vessel depicting a dragon weaving in and out of a pine tree trunk, not dissimilar to that seen on this piece, in the collection of Dora Wong, is also published ibid., pl. 235.

For examples of vessels decorated with a figural landscape see four illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pls 145-148, from the Qing Court collection and all attributed to the early Qing period.

2711
A RARE AND EXCEPTIONALLY CARVED RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP, BY XING CHENG
MING DYNASTY, DATED TO 1639

Estimate 8,000,000 — 12,000,000 HKD
LOT SOLD. 14,100,000 HKD

DETAILS & CATALOGUING

THIS IS A PREMIUM LOT. CLIENTS WHO WISH TO BID ON PREMIUM LOTS ARE REQUESTED TO COMPLETE THE PREMIUM LOT PRE-REGISTRATION 3 WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO THE SALE. BIDnow ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE.

the gently flaring sides intricately carved in various levels of relief around the exterior, depicting on one side with two figures in a boat navigating down a swift river, a thatched fence and a brick wall on either side of the riverbank, and lofty trees, the reverse with two further figures upstream passing thatched huts and jagged cliffs, along one promontory a scholar and his attendant view the riverscape, inscribed to one side with Jimao xiari Moling Xing Cheng zhi (‘Made by Xing Cheng of Moling on a summer day in the jimao year’ corresponding to 1639), the interior carved with a reticulated high-relief pine tree growing from the side, the horn of rich chestnut tone

width 17.5 cm., 6 7/8 in.

CONDITION REPORT
There is a 2 cm section of the mouthrim (near the inscription) which has been slightly polished down. Apart from some tiny nibbles to the mouth, the overall condition is very good.
SALEROOM NOTICE
PROVENANCE
John Sparks, London, 1959.
Collections of Edward T. Chow and Franklin Chow.

EXHIBITED
One Man’s Taste. Treasures from the Lakeside Pavilion, Galleries of the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1988, cat. no. R5.
Craving for Carvings: Rhinoceros Horn from the Chow Collection, Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, 2003, cat. no. fc5.

LITERATURE
Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999. pl. 153.
Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 145.
CATALOGUE NOTE
Amongst rhinoceros horn carvings, those bearing an inscription are rare, but even more exceptional, and of invaluable historical importance, are those that provide the carver’s name as well as a date of when the vessel was made. The nine-character inscription rendered on the face of a rock on the present vessel reads and may be translated as follows:
Jimao xiari Moling Xing Cheng zhi.
‘Made by Xing Cheng of Moling on a summer day in the jimao year (corresponding to 1639)’.

This inscription records the carver’s name, Xing Cheng, and dates the vessel to 1639. It also provides an additional information: the place name ‘Moling’ which may be interpreted as the location where Xing Cheng worked and where the vessel was produced or the town where Xing Cheng came from. Moling was the name used for present day Nanjing during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Although no other carving signed by Xing Cheng appears to be recorded, it is suggested that he was possibly a pupil of the 17th century master carver Zhou Wenshu, a native of Moling (See Chapman, op.cit., p. 138). Edward Chow in his notes on this cup remarks that the vessel is in the style of Zhou Wenshu. He further mentions that the best rhinoceros horn carvers at the time came from Moling. Zhou’s habit of incising an inscription on a rock surface near the lip of the cup, as seen on another vessel from the collection of Franklin Chow and illustrated in Fok, op.cit., pl. 130, is repeated here. In fact, the script used for the inscription on the two cups is identical.

For examples of carvings by Zhou see a cup decorated with a rocky landscape and pine trees, the rock face of the cliff incised in seal script with the three characters Wenshu zhi (made by Wenshu), from the collection of Harvard University Art Museums, included in Fok, ibid., pl. 131. Another vessel, in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, carved with a landscape and signed and dated by Zhou, is published in Jan Chapman, ‘The Chester Beatty Collection of Chinese Carved Rhinoceros Horn Cups’, Arts of Asia, May-June 1982, p. 78, pl. 16.

Artisans and craftsmen in China rarely signed their work unless they were commissioned to do so or felt that it was amongst, or indeed, their very best. While the inscription makes this vessel special, it is beautifully carved and a masterpiece in its own right. Edward Chow started his rhinoceros horn collection with this cup which he purchased from the renowned London dealer John Sparks in 1959. It was the exceptional workmanship, described by him as jingsu you li (extremely fine and forceful) that caught his eye. The landscape, inspired by the idyllic setting on the southern bank of the Yangtze River in Hubei province known as Chibi (Red Cliff) and made memorable by the Song poet, Su Dongpo (1037-1101), in his work titled Chibi fu (Ode on the Red Cliff), is skilfully rendered. Xing Cheng has treated his material as if painting on a hand-scroll – the rich landscape unfolds to the viewer as the cup is turned. Worked in high relief, the rock formations and trees appear three-dimensional. In fact, the rhinoceros horn is an ideal material for using carving and cutting techniques that best reproduce the natural likeness of the myriad indentations and the uneven surface of the stunning cliffs of Chibi. Chow remarked that he was shen xing shen wei (‘extremely honoured and delighted’ to own this cup.

For rhinoceros horn carvings depicting the landscape of Chibi see one in the collection of His Majesty King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, included in Bo Gyllensvard, ‘Two Yuan silver cups and their importance for dating of some carvings in wood and rhinoceros horn’, The Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities. Bulletin No. 43, Stockholm, 1971, pl. 7; and another illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 128, attributed to the late Ming dynasty. See also a cup from the collection of Thomas Fok, published in Fok, op.cit., pl. 162, and later sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 31st May 2010, lot 1818.

2705
AN EXTREMELY RARE LARGE RHINOCEROS HORN ARCHAISTIC GUANG VESSEL BY YOU YILIANG
17TH CENTURY

Estimate 12,000,000 — 15,000,000 HKD
LOT SOLD. 18,580,000 HKD
DETAILS & CATALOGUING

AN EXTREMELY RARE LARGE RHINOCEROS HORN ARCHAISTIC GUANG VESSEL BY YOU YILIANG
17TH CENTURY

THIS IS A PREMIUM LOT. CLIENTS WHO WISH TO BID ON PREMIUM LOTS ARE REQUESTED TO COMPLETE THE PREMIUM LOT PRE-REGISTRATION 3 WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO THE SALE. BIDnow ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE.

masterfully carved in the form of an archaistic bronze guang vessel with a body of flaring rectangular section set with a channelled spout opposite a ‘D’-shaped handle, the body finely carved in low relief with a wide register of taotie masks on a leiwen ground, supported on a tall foot of square section similarly decorated, the austere form interrupted by five playful chilong carved in reticulated high relief, nimbly clambering on the rim, handle and beneath the spout, the base with a four-character mark of the carver You Yiliang (You Yiliang zuo, ‘Made by You Yiliang’), the horn of rich amber patina, wood stand

width 18.5 cm., 7 1/4 in.
CONDITION REPORT
The overall condition is very good with only tiny nibbles to three corners of the foot (one filled) and a tiny nibble on the rim near the foot of one of the chilongs. The patina is very smooth and well polished.
SALEROOM NOTICE
PROVENANCE
Collections of Edward T. Chow (purchased in Hong Kong, 1966) and Franklin Chow.

EXHIBITED
One Man’s Taste. Treasures from the Lakeside Pavilion, Galleries of the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1988, cat. no. R18.
Craving for Carvings: Rhinoceros Horn from the Chow Collection, Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, 2003, cat. no. fc18.
LITERATURE
Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999. pl. 158.
Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 28.
CATALOGUE NOTE
This cup belongs to a well known group of rhinoceros horn vessels fashioned in the form of the archaic bronze guang. Although a number of related examples are known from important museums and private collections, the present cup stands out for its impressive large size and for bearing the carver’s mark in seal script You Yiliang zuo (Made by You Yiliang) on its base. This is the only carving known by You Yiliang, who worked in the 17th century (See Chapman, op.cit., p. 140). It is also unusual to find chilong carved below the spout of the vessel, making this example unique amongst cups of this type.

Edward Chow in his notes praises the workmanship and the quality of the material which he describes as touming hupo se (‘translucent amber colour’) and concludes with the words : xuyao baoer cang zhi ye (‘to be kept and treasured’).

Archaistic forms and decorative motifs were favoured by the nobility who were keen collectors of ancient artefacts. The fashion of archaism in the Song dynasty resulted in the production of pattern manuals and books which were widely copied. Carvers and artists were able to transfer the ritual heritage of bronze forms to mediums such as rhinoceros horn, ceramics and jade.

For related guang form cups see four examples, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carvings, Beijing, 2004, pls. 216-219; and another of closely related shape and decoration but lacking the chilong below the spout, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 134, similarly bearing the carver’s mark on the base in seal script that reads Hu Xingyue zuo (‘made by Hu Xingyue’). Compare also a cup in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, included in Jan Chapman, ‘The Chester Beatty Collection of Chinese Carved Rhinoceros Horn Cups’, Arts of Asia, May-June 1982, p. 83, pl. 23; and another sold at Christie’s London, 16th April 1985, lot 354, with a band of taotie and leiwen below a keyfret border on the exterior and with two chilong clutching and peering over the rim above a double bracket handle, closely related to that seen on this vessel.

2719
AN IMPERIAL OUTSTANDING RHINOCEROS HORN ‘DRAGON’ BOWL
MING DYNASTY, 16TH / 17TH CENTURY

Estimate 18,000,000 — 25,000,000 HKD

DETAILS & CATALOGUING

THIS IS A PREMIUM LOT. CLIENTS WHO WISH TO BID ON PREMIUM LOTS ARE REQUESTED TO COMPLETE THE PREMIUM LOT PRE-REGISTRATION 3 WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO THE SALE. BIDnow ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE.

carved from a perfectly circular section of horn with rounded sides rising to an everted lip and tapering to a flat base, deftly carved in varying levels of relief around the exterior with one large scaly five-clawed dragon with a bifurcated tail and four smaller chilong, all clambering around a formal archaistic ground with a band of leiwen and taotie animal masks, set between upright and pendent lappets and cicadas below the rim and skirting the foot, the mouthrim encircled by a keyfret band and abstract zoomorphic patterns around the mouth, the dragons all playfully rendered with animated contorted poses, the fifth chilong hiding on the base in low relief, the well-hollowed interior left plain, the smooth patina of warm honey tone, stand

width 16.5 cm., 6 1/2 in.
READ CONDITION REPORT
The overall condition is very good with only a fine star crack to the extremely thin base that has been reinforced.

SALEROOM NOTICE
PROVENANCE
Sotheby’s London, 12th December 1978, lot 257.
Collections of Edward T. Chow and Franklin Chow.
EXHIBITED
One Man’s Taste. Treasures from the Lakeside Pavilion, Galleries of the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1988, cat. no. R19.
LITERATURE
Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 189.
Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 6.
CATALOGUE NOTE
Praised as the ‘Champion of rhinoceros horns’ (ke cheng xijiao zhi Guan) by Edward Chow, the present bowl is a tour de force within rhinoceros horn carving with no comparable example recorded. Acquired in 1978, this bowl is amongst the most important vessels in the collection. Chow mentions in his notes that in his fifty years’ experience with antiques it is the first time that he has seen such an extraordinary piece. He writes, ‘Xing shen xing shen ye. Zhi ke yu, bu ke qiu, laotian zhi ci ye.’ (‘How lucky, how happy I am! One can only find such an object by chance. It is the gift of God.’)

Exquisitely fashioned in high relief with a large animated scaly dragon chasing four smaller ones around the vessel, against a background of archaistic motifs carved in low relief, it represents the work of a master carver possibly employed by the Ming court or commissioned to make it as a tribute item for the court. It is known that from the early Ming dynasty the craft of horn carving was exclusively controlled by the imperial court which would have commissioned a bowl of this type for the emperor and his family.

The bowl is special for a number of reasons. It is impressive for its exceptionally large size. The only horn type that is of sufficient size and shape to make such a striking vessel is that of the Black African rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis). This horn species is also the only one that is virtually circular in shape and has almost straight sides at the well end which is important for achieving the correct shape. (See Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, p. 90).

While rhinoceros horn bowls are rare, two of the earliest examples recorded are in the collection of the Shoso-in Repository at Nara, Japan, illustrated in ibid., pp. 87-88, pls. 66 and 67, both undecorated with a diameter of 10 cm and 15.5 cm respectively. Another plain bowl of very similar size and form to the present piece, attributed to the late Ming dynasty, from the Qing court collection and still in Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 123. The Palace Museum bowl shares a distinct feature with the bowl in this collection, the thick overhanging lip which in this case is decorated with the keyfret pattern on the side and stylised dragon motif on the top. See a smaller plain conical form bowl (diameter 15 cm.) with a keyfret pattern around the rim, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, included in Craig Clunas, Chinese Carving, London, 1996, fig. 29; and one in the collection of Harvard University Art Museums, decorated with a single stylized dragon band, illustrated in Fok, op.cit., pl. 10. Compare another Ming bowl in the form of a large lotus flower, included in a number of distinguished collections such as those of Hoqua, William Couper, Leo D. Arons, Eskenazi London, and The Water, Pine, Stone Retreat Collection, sold in these rooms, 8th October 2010, lot 2242.

The exquisite craftsmanship and decoration make this bowl special and unique. The high level of quality achieved and the dauntingly laborious production process are typical of manufacture for imperial use. The carving of the mythical beasts is three dimensional, not dissimilar to that seen on stone stele of the Ming dynasty. For example, see a relief carving of a dragon on a ceremonial archway (pai lou) base in the tomb of the Ming emperor Hongxi (d. 1425), Beijing, illustrated in Ann Paludan, The Chinese Spirit Road, New Haven, 1991, pl. 221. The cicada motif on the bowl is also comparable to that carved on the base of another stone ceremonial archway bearing a large qilin, in the Valley of the Ming Tombs, Beijing, also illustrated ibid., pl. 220.

The carving of this bowl is similar to that seen on contemporary lacquer vessels where the design is fashioned through several distinct layers. On this bowl, the chilong are fashioned on an archaistic background, much of which is carved against another layer of leiwen (keyfret) ground. For a related effect see a Jiajing mark and period lacquer bowl of similar deep rounded form, carved with a writhing dragon and a soaring phoenix amid peonies, sold in these rooms, 2nd May 2005, lot 627. A Xuande lacquer dish carved in high relief with chilong amidst waves and ruyi-clouds, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, and published in Zhongguo qiqi quanji, vol.5, Fuzhou, 1995, pl. 42, may have also served as inspiration in its rendition of the dragons and ruyi-clouds against a star-pattern diaper-ground. This style of deep carving is also evident on an imperial Ming rosewood brushpot bearing nine hornless dragons chasing each other around the vessel, also in the Palace Museum, included Sekai Bijutsu Daizenshu. Toyohen, vol. 8, Tokyo, 1999, pl. 203.

Another distinctive feature of this bowl is its particularly beautiful shade of golden honey colour which is associated with pieces made in the Ming dynasty. This is a sign of the natural aging process of the material as well as being the result of extensive polishing to a high sheen. In its original state rhinoceros horn is a dark grey colour, frequently with a black core to the horn which extends upwards from the point to the well.