Page 269 - Fine Chinese Art Bonhams London May 2018
P. 269
The present lot was inspired in form by archaic bronze ritual vessels,
gu, but differs in having a spout and handle. It is very rare to find a
rhinoceros horn libation cup of similar form. The vessel is also rare for
bearing an unrecorded two-character seal mark in archaic sealscript to
the base reading ‘Xiao Yu’ (孝玉).
A rhinoceros horn cup with related animal taotie design, late Ming
dynasty, is illustrated in Ming and Qing Chinese Arts from the C.P.Lin
Collection, Hong Kong, 2014, pp.282-283, no.167.
Compare with a related rhinoceros horn libation cup, 17th/18th century,
which was sold at Bonhams London, 11 November 2010, lot 471.
283 (two views)
