A fine pair of full-tip rhinoceros horn 'lotus pond' libation cups,19th century. Photo Bonhams.

Each long horn intricately carved with a large lotus blossom concealing a frog crouching on the inside petals, issuing from a long smooth stem surrounded by twisting overlapping stems, leaves and lotus blossoms and buds on which frogs and crabs crawl, the lotus stems growing from waves with a crayfish swimming at the tip, wood stands. The taller 52.7cm; 20¾in) high (4). Sold for £86,500 (€103,419)

Provenance: Charles Brooking Compton (1876-1935), and thence by descent
A European private collection, no.OA 916

Charles Brooking Compton was born 1st October 1876 in London.

In 1898 he began working for the London jewellery and goldsmiths Messrs. Mappin & Webb, and soon afterwards was appointed as manager of the firm's French branches in Biarritz, Nice and Paris, where he worked for some until the end of 1915, becoming a keen art collector during this period.

In November 1913, whilst working in Paris, he met Mr. Raphael Marzo, a French jeweller established in Paris, Biarritz and Madrid, with whom he developed an excellent relationship. Marzo's Paris shop was located at 22, Rue de La Paix, just opposite Mr. Brooking's office, at 1, Rue de La Paix. In 1916 Mr. Brooking received a proposal to manage Marzo's Madrid branch, and partly due to the difficult years of the World War One, he accepted and moved with his family to assume his new position in Spain. Soon afterwards he began to consider the idea of creating his own business and on 31 March 1926 Queen Victoria Eugenia attended the opening of his new premises in Madrid and he became a supplier to the Royal Family. His passion for Chinese works of art continued onto the next generation, which acquired some of the objects included in the collection offered at this time.

A similar pair of full-tip rhinoceros horn libation cups was sold in these rooms, 17 May 2012, lot 227.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART. London, New Bond Street. 7 Nov 2013 - www.bonhams.com