A rare and unusual  petal-rimmed  rhinoceros horn footed bowl . Qing dynasty. Photo Sotheby's

the rounded sides rising from a broad base to a ten-lobed frilled rim, all supported on five short splayed feet, the horn of a light honey color shading to black at the center, the base later incised and gilt-infilled with a four-character mark. Diameter 4 in., 10.3 cm. ESTIMATION 120,000-150,000 USD

NOTE: Apart from the petal-rim, which is the most striking feature of this lot, there is no surface decoration. To create the petal-rim, the horn is first carved into a bowl shape and then the rim soaked in hot water until it softens enough to be manipulated into the desired shape. It is then left to dry and harden. Rhinoceros horn carvings with undecorated surfaces are rare. The unadorned surface on the present lot, shows off to good effect the subtle grain, color and unusual shape of the bowl.

A similar bowl with eight lobes, also with an incised and gilt-infilled four-character mark, dated to the Qianlong period, in the Gerard Levy Collection, Paris is illustrated by Jan Chapman in The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pp. 147 and 244. On page 244, the author notes that this form is 'almost certainly a copy of a jade piece and shows the ultra-sophisticated taste of Qianlong'. A rare example of a plain rhinoceros horn bowl, dated to the 17th / 18th century was sold in these rooms on 27th November 1990, lot 58.