A finely carved archaistic rhinoceros horn libation cup. Ming dynasty, early 17th century. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd. 2011

 

The tall slender body rising to a wide flaring rim, encircled at the mid-section in shallow relief with a raised band of confronted archaistic kui dragons on a leiwen ground, between large lappets rising to the rim and descending to the slightly splayed foot divided by four regularly spaced vertical notched flanges, further intricately decorated in high relief at one end with four chilong of varying size among blossoming branches forming the handle, with two further small chilong clambering around the sides beneath the rim which is decorated on the upper surface with key-fret, the material ranging from a warm reddish-brown tone at the rim to a darker chestnut brown at the foot; 6 1/4 in. (16 cm.) wide. Estimate HK$3,500,000 - HK$4,500,000 HK$3,500,000 - HK$4,500,000 ($460,000 - $580,000). Unsold

明末　犀角雕夔龍盃

盃形修長，淺腹，內挖高足圈。腹刻仿古夔龍雷紋帶，上下各飾蟬翼紋，四邊出戟，一側鏤雕四螭龍、花枝構成盃柄。口沿內飾回紋，沿外雕兩小螭龍。犀角料呈淺褐漸變深栗色。

此器曾錄於1999年倫敦出版Jan Chapman著《中國的犀牛角雕刻藝術》，151頁，圖182。