Page 172 - Bonhams Hong Kong The Skinner Moon Flasks

137 Y
A RARE ARCHAISTIC RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
Ru yu two-character mark, 17th/18th century
Finely carved to the exterior with two taotie masks below a key-fret
band on either side of the flared rim, the handle formed by an adult
and young sinuous chi dragons climbing over the rim, with a further
chi dragon clambering up one side, raised on a ridged flared foot, the
base relief-carved with a two-character Ru yu (‘like jade’) zhuanshu
seal mark, the horn of a rich honey-brown tone.
14.9cm (5 7/8in) wide

HK$150,000 - 250,000
US$19,000 - 32,000

十七/十八世紀 犀角雕蟠螭獸面紋杯 陽文「如玉」篆書款

Provenance:
An important European private collection

來源：
重要歐洲私人舊藏

The present lot draws its inspiration in form and in the taotie-mask 此犀角杯採用鏤雕、浮雕、圓雕等技法，並融合商周青銅爵或匜的因
design from archaic bronze vessels of the late Shang and Western 素仿古創新。其杯身及杯口螭龍刻畫生動，姿態各異，雕工嫻熟、技
Zhou dynasty, symbolising the virtues of ancient times. 藝複雜，紋飾非常考究，杯底刻陽文「如玉」篆書款未見著錄，此為
孤品一例，是仿古器中佳作。
This rhinoceros horn libation cup demonstrates the consummate
skill of the carver, with the multi-layered carving and naturalistic chi 此式仿古獸面螭龍犀角杯為宮廷角雕中較受歡迎類型之一，見北京故
dragons. The adult dragon is unusually carved with twin horns, his 宮博物院清宮舊藏明晚期犀角雕蟠螭紋耳六口杯，著錄於《故宮博物
prowess demonstrated in the clawed feet holding onto the rim. The 院珍藏文物珍品全集：竹木牙角雕刻》，香港，2002年，頁151，圖
bronze-inspired form is superbly carved with elegant raised ridges 133；另見慕尼黑國立民族學博物館藏一例，著錄於《The Art of the
around the foot and in the interior. Rarely are rhinoceros horn libation Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China》，倫敦，1999年，頁152，圖184
cups carved with inscriptions; in some instances, such inscriptions ；帶有款識的例子，見霍滿堂先生舊藏十七世紀一例，著錄於霍滿
denote the name of the carver or (as in the case of the present lot) a 堂，《中國犀角雕刻珍賞》，香港，1999年，圖18，其底鈐「商銘」
commendation mark is carved. 款，以及圖41，底鈐「胡星岳製」款；另見長青館藏一例，著錄於
《長青館藏明清瓷、玉、角、竹、畫琺瑯》，香港，2014年，圖167。
Related archaistic rhinoceros horn libation cups are in important
museum and private collections: see the example from the Qing 舊金山邦瀚斯曾售出十七世紀一例，2011年12月20日，拍品8171；
Court collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures 十七/十八世紀之例，見倫敦邦瀚斯售出兩例，2011年11月10日，拍
of the Palace Museum: Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn 品433以及2013年5月16日，拍品361。香港邦瀚斯曾售出十七世紀仿
Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, p.151, pl.133 (late Ming dynasty); 古杯一例，2014年5月26日，拍品122。
see another libation cup also from the Staatliches Museum für
Völkerkunde, Munich, illustrated by J.Chapman, The Art of the
Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, p.152, pl.184; and
another example, 17th century, illustrated by T.Fok, Connoisseurship
of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pls.18 (with
Shang Ming mark), and 41 (with Hu Xingyue mark); while a further
example, late Ming dynasty, is illustrated in Ming and Qing Chinese
Arts from the C.P. Lin Collection, Hong Kong, 2014, pl.167.

Compare a related archaistic rhinoceros horn libation cup, 17th
century, sold in our San Francisco rooms, 20 December 2011, lot
8171; two other related examples, 17th/18th and 18th century,
respectively, sold in our London rooms, 10 November 2011, lot 433
and 16 May 2013, lot 361; and a further related libation cup, 17th
century, was sold in these rooms, 26 May 2014, lot 122.

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