A rare rhinoceros horn archaistic libation cup, jue. Qing dynasty, 17th century.Photo Sotheby's

carved in the form of an archaic bronze drinking vessel, the mouth surrounded by a flared flange, one side with a channeled spout the other tapering to a point, both sides of the rim incised with a key-fret band, set with two opposing upright capped finials, the body carved with a wide floret-diaper band, one side set with an undercut handle issuing from the mouth of a lion mask, all supported on three splayed blade legs, the horn of a deep honey color and a silky patina. Height 4 in., 10.2 cm. Estimate 150,000-250,000 USD

NOTE: This cup, in the form of the well-known bronze ritual vessel jue, exhibits archaistic elegance and a high level of skill exercised by the carver, who used the complex technique of bending different sections of the split horn upwards to form the splayed legs.

Compare a rhinoceros horn jue decorated with the taotie design illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 205, together with a four-legged ding form cup, pl. 206, and a tripod ding vessel, pl. 207. A number of jue have sold in our Hong Kong rooms. One from the collection of H. G. Beasley, was sold on 22nd May 1984, lot 263; one with two capped posts was sold on 19th November 1986, lot 334; and one from the Edward & Franklin Chow Collection was sold 8th April 2011, lot 2710.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. New York | 20 Mar 2012 www..sothebys.com