Lot 3668. An inscribed rhinoceros horn 'river landscape' libation cup, by Sheng Fugong, 17th century. Estimation 600,000 — 800,000 HKD. Lot sold 2,960,000 HKD. Photo Sotheby's. 

of conical form, the flaring sides tapering to a rounded square base, carved around the exterior in high relief with a continuous riverscape detailed with figures engaging in various activities, including two inside a pavilion, another holding an umbrella and walking near a bridge, another looking out a pavilion and conversing with a fisherman standing on a boat and holding two fish, the stream flowing tortuously through jagged cliffs and rocky outcrops cascading into the countersunk underside of the foot, one end of the horn set with an openwork handle formed by the gnarled wutong tree trunks twisting through the pierced crevices, surmounted by pine tree trunks with branches extending over the rim and onto the interior bearing clusters of pine blossoms, inscribed on the rock face of the cliff close to the front lip in cursive script with a poetic phrase reading de yu gu jiu zui jiang tian ('acquired the fish, bought the alcohol, and get drunk by the river under the sky'), followed by the signature Fugong in seal script, the horn richly patinated to a rich toffee tone darkening to a deep brown colour on the carved underside; length 16.5 cm, 6 1/2  in.

Provenance: A private American collection, acquired prior to 1955, and thence by descent to the current owner.

Note; Compare another cup also signed Sheng Fugong, with a similar treatment of pine trees and cliffs, previously in the collection of Thomas Fok and later sold in these rooms, 8th October 2013, lot 3153, illustrated in Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, cat. no. 160; also in Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 152. According to the inscription, it is believed that it was once in the collection of Zhou Wenshu, another eminent rhinoceros horn carver active in the late Ming dynasty. 

 Lot 3666. A superbly carved rhinoceros horn 'lion and cubs' libation cup, late Ming dynasty. Estimation 1,000,000 — 1,500,000 HKD. Lot sold 2,000,000 HKD. Photo Sotheby's. 

skilfully carved as a shallow cup forming the body of a recumbent lion depicted with its head slightly turned to the right and supporting the front paws of a clambering cub, the beast finely carved with bushy eyebrows and bulging eyes above its slightly agape mouth, the shapely body with a crenulated spine flanked by small tufts of hair, terminating in a large bushy tail swept to the right, a further young depicted looking up and nestling between the front paws of the lion, the horn patinated to a smooth warm golden-brown colour; length 11 cm, 4 3/8  in.

Provenance: Acquired in China in the 1930s, and brought to Canada in June 1947.
Bonhams San Francisco, 24th June 2013, lot 1146.

Notes: Successfully capturing a sense of life and animation, this cup's exquisite workmanship is outstanding. Deftly carved with flaring nostrils and well-combed curling eyebrows framing large bulging eyes, the mythical lion is imbued with elegance and vitality. The carving of the two clambering cubs is imaginative and playful. Sensitively rendered details, as seen in the paws, claws, manes and tails, add to the artefact's charm. The scrolls at the haunches, recalling traditional depictions of wings seen on bixie as early as the Han dynasty, together with the well-defined muscles and spine, accentuate the strength and power of the beasts.

Made to stand on its wide end renders the cup highly unusual. The design highlights the decoration at the tip of the horn instead that on the base. This type of rhinoceros horn animal cup is extremely rare and only a few other examples are known to exist. Jan Chapman lists four examples in her book, Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, nos. 56-59. Signed Bao Tiancheng and bearing a Wanli date, the first cup (no. 56), in the form of a reclining stag, provides important evidence for the dating of the group. The second example (no. 57), carved as a mythical deer reclining in a similar posture, is also noteworthy. Formerly in the collections of John Warrack and Gerard Levy, sold in our London rooms, 12th November 1974, lot 134 and again in Christie's Hong Kong, 1st June 2011, lot 3755, it is inscribed tianlu yongchang ('heavenly deer, forever auspiciousness') and decorated at the haunches with scrolls similar to that of the creatures on the present cup.

See also an animal cup formerly in the A.J. Speelman Collection, lively carved in the form of a recumbent deer grasping a sprig of lingzhi in the mouth; and another in the form of a reclining mythical beast, sold in our New York rooms, 20th November 1973, lot 48.

Chapman commented that these cups "might even be mistaken for animal carvings except for the fact that when the carving is upturned it becomes a drinking cup" (ibid., p. 83). Furthermore, the composition of these animal-form rhinoceros horn cups suggests that the carvers have drawn inspiration from animal carvings made using other media. Compare for example a jade mythical beast with similar scrolls at the haunches, brought to the market by Spink & Son in the 1970s and sold again in Christie's New York, 17th September 2008, lot 283, when it was dated to the 17th century; and another Ming dynasty jade, modelled as the Yingxiong group, with the bear similarly detailed with well-combed upturned eyebrows above round bulging eyes and scroll-like haunches, sold twice in Christie's London and recently again in these rooms, 7th April 2015, lot 3757.

Lot 3665. A finely carved rhinoceros horn 'mallow' cup, 17th–18th century. Estimation 350,000 — 450,000 HKD. Lot sold 837,500  HKD. Photo Sotheby's.

exquisitely carved as a five-petalled mallow bloom with flaring sides resting on a hollow splayed foot, the well-defined petals delicately rendered radiating from a small central stamen on the interior, one side carved in openwork with curling stems issuing an attendant flowering mallow bloom and small buds, as well as large furled serrated leaves, the stem further depicted extending upward over the rim and issuing one leaf on the interior, the horn patinated to a golden-brown honey colour transmuting to a darker brown along the handle and on the interior, with a label inscribed Marie Legrier en souvenir de mon frère Jacques 14 Mars 1957 [...] no. 6552, 584 PM (Marie Legrier in memory of my brother Jacques, 14th March 1957); 9.8 cm, 3 7/8  in.

Provenance: Collection of Marie Legrier, donated 14th March 1957 (label).

Lot 3667. A carved rhinoceros horn 'chilong, prunus and bamboo' libation cup, 17th century. Estimation 400,000 — 600,000 HKD. Lot sold 625,000   HKD. Photo Sotheby's.

exquisitely carved with a flaring upper body tapering to a small foot, the openwork base skilfully modelled in the form of a coiled prunus branch extending upward along one side of the vessel and forming the handle with one leaf on the interior, the handle further rendered with a bamboo shoot supporting the elongated body of a clambering chilong, the head and paws of the mythical beast depicted resting on the interior, the exterior further rendered in high relief and openwork with three chilong clambering amidst lush bamboo shoots and flowering prunus blossoms, their serpentine bodies well accentuated with long curved necks and curling bifurcated tails, the horn of a dark reddish-brown colour; length 19.4 cm, 7 5/8  in.

Provenance: A private American collection, acquired prior to 1955, and thence by descent to the current owner.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 05 oct. 2016, 02:30 PM