A Rare And Superbly Carved 'Orchid Pavilion' Rhinoceros Horn Libation Cup. Ming Dynasty, Early 17th Century. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2012

The sides are crisply carved in high relief with a continuous scene from 'Preface to the Scholarly Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion', depicting four scholars seated reading books and drinking wine beneath pine and wutong trees by the banks of a swirling river accompanied by attendants carefully floating cups of wine on the currents. The scene continues to the reverse with two further scholars writing, enjoying wine and playing the qin, all set below a pavilion nestled among rocks and wispy clouds that continue over the rim to the interior of the cup, the river flowing around to the side of the cup, descending into a waterfall between the two rocky outcrops that form the handle and emerging at the base beside a two-character seal mark Wu Heng. The material is of a light amber tone. 6 1/2 in. (16.6 cm.) wide, wood stand, box. Estimate HK$6,000,000 - HK$9,000,000 ($777,832 - $1,166,748)

Provenance: A.V. Stuart, Saco, Maine
Sold at Sotheby's New York, 22-23 March 1999, lot 430

Exhibited: Hong Kong Museum of Art, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth: Gems of Antiquities Collections in Hong Kong, 2002-2005

Notes: The characters, Wu Heng, probably denote the name of the carver or the collector. However, it appears to be unrecorded.

The exquisitely rendered details on the cup illustrate a scene as described in the 'Preface to the Scholarly Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion' written by the great calligrapher and poet, Wang Xizhi (A.D. 307-365). The author invited a group of scholars to a gathering by the Orchid Pavilion in Shanyin, Zhejiang, in A.D. 353, to celebrate the Spring Purification Festival. During the gathering they played a game in which servants would float cups of wine on the river to the scholars waiting downstream. In the time the cups took to reach the scholars, they had to try to compose a poem and catch the cups as they passed by. 

The theme is rarely depicted on rhinoceros horn carvings due to its complexity, elaborate scenery and the large number of figures involved. The spectacular size of this horn enabled the carver to skilfully recreate the scene in magnificent detail.

Compare to another very large 'Orchid Pavilion' rhinoceros horn libation cup signed by Fang Hongzhai also from the Songzhutang Collection, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, Important Chinese Rhinoceros Horn Carvings from the Songzhutang Collection, 27 May 2008, lot 1709.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. 28 November 2012. Hong Kong