Page 215 - Important Chinese Art Hong Kong Sotheby's April 2017

This finely carved vessel is particularly rare for its inclusion 此器雕琢自然細膩，打磨圓潤，流下題：「爾質則犀，爾
of a cyclical date, which identifies it as an example carved in 量匪泥。豈斯樂斯，毋學阮嵇。萬曆壬午夏蓮花主人」
the Wanli period. The carving of the present piece has skilfully 。犀角器刻記年款者如鳳毛麟角，甚為稀罕。此盃截取一
utilised the natural shape of the rhinoceros horn to render it 段犀角，雕一朵盛開的錦葵為盃，內壁花瓣交疊，底出花
as an open musk mallow flower, complete with a stamen in 蕊。外壁枝葉盤纏，虬曲枝幹為足，延伸至一側為鋬，一
the well. The softness of the petals is captured in the smoothly 螭龍由鋬攀爬至器口，形態逼真可愛。
finished surface and delicate lobed rim. A further sense of
naturalism and liveliness is captured in the sinuous rendering 一紋飾相近，尺寸稍小例，外壁同飾相類鋸齒葉片，
of the chilong handle and the expertly fashioned foot in the 盃鋬雕螭龍，圖載於 Maria Kiang，《Objects for the
form of a twisting stalk that extends upwards. Scholar’s Desk》，香港，2008年，圖版31。另有兩例，
分別售於紐約蘇富比1981年2月24日，編號323及倫敦蘇
A slightly smaller rhinoceros horn cup decorated with 富比1988年10月28日，編號208。倫敦佳士得售兩例，分
similar serrated leaves on the exterior and a chilong handle 別在2007年5月15日，編號49，以及2011年11月8日，編
is illustrated in Maria Kiang, Objects for the Scholar’s Desk, 號5。北京故宮博物院藏一例，未飾螭龍，錄於《故宮經
Hong Kong, 2008, pl. 31; one was sold in our New York rooms, 典：故宮犀角圖典》，北京，2012年，圖版13，同書圖版
27th February 1981, lot 323; another was sold in our London 12另見一例，腹飾修竹。都柏林切斯特比替圖書館且存一
rooms, 28th October 1988, lot 208; and two were sold at 盃，可資比對，收錄於 Jan Chapman，《中國的犀牛角
Christie’s London, the first, 15th May 2007, lot 49, and the 雕刻藝術》，倫敦，1999年，圖版206。
second, 8th November 2011, lot 5. Another similar cup but
lacking the chilong handle, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is
illustrated in Classics of the Forbidden City. Rhinoceros Horn
in the Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, 2012, pl. 13,
together with one also carved with bamboo on the body, pl. 12;
and a further example in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin,
published in Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving
in China, London, 1999, pl. 206.

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