Page 173 - Christie's Leisurely Life May 29, 2019 Hong Kong

fig. 2 Gift of Norbert Schimmel Trust, 1989. fig. 3 © The Avery Brundage Collection, fig. 4 Hong Kong private collection
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Courtesy of Asian Art Museum, San Francisco எ୨ ࠰ಥӷɛⅧ⻦
எՀ /PSCFSU 4DIJNNFM ؼ㉂༕㐩 எӲ © "WFSZ #SVOEBHF Ⅷ⻦卿
⡥⡙ഌ㛢ᝯࢷ⁒㱦⻦৅ ⯠㞖ྒྷՌᰲ⻱ワࢷ⁒㱦

3022 Continued

The inscription can be translated: 㯪㍃厍
It is said in the Odes, ‘The si rhyton is like a horn-tip’. A ॶݕ㈝
horn-tip is curved. This vessel is curved to one side, but ㉼Ճݕ㈝ݯ㈡卿㈡ᝢ㎼卿᫉଍ڍᝢ卿ֿजᑥ㱀卿⧡Ԡߺ۞卿
can be used for drinking when it is held, and tips over
when put down. This is consistent with the meaning of ᫈⯝㈡⨒भǯࣽՃᎱ㲬݉㿩卿Ꮁඈ㜨ᆽݕ㈝ǯዏ⋁ჺ㲬ӳՔ
a horn-tip. It is also said in the Odes, ‘My horse is dark जᑥ㱀卿ᘢ⊇㏘⡷卿㪪⽔जᘁǯ
brown (exhausted); I’ll just drink from the si rhyton.’ One
imagines that on horseback in the old days one also uses ࣇ厍
it to drink, therefore it is strung with a chain, and can be Գ㪏ᇙ⅊
carried anywhere.
ݕᛓ۔㊯ԋ⎏▵℡卿ᆨַ㬪⁇⩧ℒ㈍卿⯝⁤჎჎᳋Ნ厎ݦ⩢㫍
Si is a mythical animal said to resemble a buffalo but with ὞㛢ᛓℒ㈍℡卿࣐ᛓӶऱ⎏࡚⁒ǯ
one single flat horn. It is often mistaken for rhinoceros, but is
apparently an altogether different animal. This rare Imperial ᫉։ℒ⁞⎏ᇙㅳᶜ଍⎏㙁ᆨ፽㊃ᛓ⊐ԋՌ㞖ྏ଍ᶨ㍩⩧׹卿ࣻ
lacquer vessel is inspired by a metal prototype, probably from ᾅ࢈໬Ƕ໿কࢷऒஎǷӳᏒ㢙⎏Ӭ։⁇㲛㈝卻ވˏ❟ǯ᫉㈝ங
Central Asia, such as the one illustrated in the Northern-Song ᳖ջㄴ㊩㊘ἃᛓॶង㚃⁒卿୬⩧ᝳॶݕ㈝⎏ल♑߅→ǯ㘺♎଍
dynasty Imperial bronze compendium ‘Illustrated Catalogue
of Antique Objects in the Emperor Huizong’s Collection’ ⎵ݯ༰जս㘤ᵒߪ᯳ᙱℳង卿ൈഌ㛢ᝯࢷ⁒㱦Ꮢ⻦Ӭݩ݉߿Ն
(fig. 1), which was mis-identified as a Zhou dynasty bronze ӽ⡕⎏㠤ㅳ⧷㲛⎷࣊ᛓ卻ވ̕❟ǯ᫉㯸଍⎵፽ᛓ⣌⊐⢵㒩⩧۔
rhyton, hence the name inscribed on the current cup. This ݣԋக卿㩰㇛ࢷ⁒㱦⻦ᝳӬ։ⶬल⎏⧷㲛⇱⇢⎷卿㫍ㄴ໸ἃ৿
type of animal-head rhyton could be traced to Persia, such as ջ卿ݯ┱ߏㅳהᛞ㧿ࣿ஠㿽㚍㫬㊄⡿⩠㌴ǯ⯠㞖ྒྷՌᰲ⻱ワࢷ
the example with the forepart of a ram in the Metropolitan ⁒㱦㚍⻦ᝳӬ։ℱ⁇㲛⎷卿⯝ទ⎷⎏㙁ᆨ㬳჎⏟㘆卿໸ჺ ӽ
Museum collection, dated to 5th Century B.C (fig. 2). These
vessels probably found their way to China via the Silk Road, ⡕卿፽ᛓ֎ᾅ㘺㯸଍ᆨ⎏Ӭ։ԋஇᙔ⁒卻ވ˔❟ǯ
where examples like the onyx and gold cup with an ibex’s head ᫉଍ᄓ㛑ߴǸԳ㪏ᇙ⅊ǹ୨ໃ᪪卿㰆▔໦ᛓἃԻԳ㪏Ⴝ㐃⅊⩧
now in the Shaanxi Provincial Museum were found. Although
dated to the Tang Dynasty, it is probably not Chinese and its ⁞ߣ㈳ㅳ⎏⅊଍卿㬳Ӭ⯺⎏⊇଍卿㕇֍✙⡯⯇὞Ӷऱǯᬘ㖅Ӭ
date and place of manufacture is unclear. There is also a jade ։㲞ᳰ☆՞ᘘ⻦卿Ӷ჌ǸԳ㪏ᇙ⅊ǹ᪪⎏ऱ㯸ᶜ⎷卻ވݩ❟ǯ
rhyton (fig. 3) in the Avery Brundage Collection, Asian Art
Museum, San Francisco, which is remarkably similar in form
to the current lacquer cup, and dated to the 10th century.
The four-character mark Qianlong Yuwan indicates that
the object is commissioned for the Qianlong Emperor’s
personal pleasure and not a regular vessel, a very prestigious
distinction. Compare another similar lacquer cup, however
without the Qianlong Yuwan mark, (fig. 4) in a Hong Kong
private collection.

172