Page 216 - Sothebys Important Chinese Art April 3 2018

3649

A RARE AND FINELY CARVED RHINOCEROS 清十八世紀 犀角雕雞冠花盃
HORN ‘COCKSCOMB’ LIBATION CUP
來源：
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY
倫敦蘇富比1986年2月20日，編號30
exquisitely carved with flaring sides rising to an irregular rim
simulating a cockscomb bloom, one side of the exterior with
a handle well rendered in the form of a leafy gnarled branch
issuing aster and further cockscomb blooms extending across
the body and underside of the vessel forming the base, the
interior with further furled leaves and one meticulously picked
out aster bloom, the patina of a variegated lustrous honey-
brown colour
14.3 cm, 5⅝ in.
PROVENANCE
Sotheby’s London, 20th February 1968, lot 30.
◉ HK$ 800,000-1,200,000
US$ 103,000-154,000

The present rhinoceros horn cup, in the form of a blossoming
cockscomb fashioned with a gnarled branch handle, is
beautifully shaped and exquisitely carved. The rendering of
stemming cockscomb blooms and aster in high relief fosters a
sense of naturalism and liveliness in the piece. While this cup
displays characteristic elements seen on flower-form vessels,
it is distinctive for the elegant and skilful fashioning of the
furled edges at the rim, which has successfully added another
layer of three-dimensionality to the overall composition.
Rhinoceros horn cups with a cockscomb theme are rare
and no other example appears to have been published. For
libation cups of this type carved with serrated rims, see a
funnel-shaped example in the collection of Mr. Franklin Chow,
illustrated in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn
Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 118; a cup in the form
of a furled loquat leaf, sold in these rooms, 7th April 2017, lot
3644; another in the form of a lotus leaf, sold at Christie’s
London, 15th May 2007, lot 45; and a fourth cup, sold in our
New York rooms, 25th September 1986, lot 271.
Each plant on this libation cup has been carefully chosen
to create a work of art that is both a study of nature and
brimming with symbolic meaning. Cockscomb (jiguanhua)
blooms in the summer and the brightly coloured blossoms
resemble the comb of a rooster, hence its name. It has a
long history of cultivation in China, and in art it conveys the
auspicious message for promotion in rank and success. Aster
(cuiju) on the hand, also referred to as chrysanthemum in
Chinese, is emblematic of autumn and symbolises longevity.
Objects of this type were treasured by the scholar-literati for
their fine design as well as for their medium and message they
conveyed.

214 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比