Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, including Property from the Collection of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York, 19-20 march 2007.
An exceptional inscribed rhinoceros horn 'drunken poet' libation cup signed by You Kan, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period
Lot 376. An exceptional inscribed rhinoceros horn 'Drunken poet' libation cup, signed by You Kan (active 1660 - 1720), Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 5 5/8 in., 14.2 cm. Estimate 250,000 — 350,000 USD. Lot sold 540,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.
the horn of golden honey tone, with rather widely splayed mouth tapering sharply to the truncated base, superbly carved with a young boy attendant bearing a tall ewer of wine before his chest towards a seated bearded scholar or poet, reclining in lordly ease upon a late Ming 'drunken lord's' chair, with sloping reclining back and carved pillow-form headrest projecting over the horseshoe-back shaped crestrail and set into the seat-frame and arm-rails, the poet obviously tipsy as he gestures with raised winecup and lobed hat slightly askew, reading an open book before a rushing stream, with bamboo and rockwork forming the handles to one end, and further plants and swirling clouds continuing to the interior, with a poem incised just under the mouthrim just by the seal in raised relief, cunningly half-hidden behind a large boulder and reading You.
Note: The inscription on the present vessel reads, and can be translated, as follows:
Xie bei le shen cheng bi xian,
yin ru chang qing xi bai quan.
"Discarding his wine cup, the joyful immortal
praises hiding worthies.
(They) drink like a great whale,
gulping down the one hundred rivers."
This poem refers to the group of Tang dynasty statesmen and scholar-literati who were 'immortalized' in the work of the poet Du Fu (712-770) and in the Xin Tang shu (New Tang Book) by Li Bo ( 701-762). They are called the 'Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup' (jiuzhong baxian) who became famous for their passion for drinking wine and getting drunk. 'Discarding his wine cup' is also a reference to retiring from office and hence enjoying the life of a hermit.
This cup is outstanding for its beautiful light colouration and for the meticulous and deep carving of the subject matter. The light tone of the cup is probably the result of the natural ageing process of the material and carvings in the light yellow and honey tones are almost invariably associated with the best quality carving.
Rhinoceros horn cups decorated with figures in this bold manner are rare and the present cup is exceptional for the attention paid to the facial expressions of the two figures showing the intention of the artist to characterize his subjects. The carving of the furniture, book and the surrounding landscape is also exquisite and thorough. The scholar appears content, enjoying his reading while being served wine by his servant. The overall composition is harmonious and pleasing to the eye. The ambiance is one of poetic elegance, a true masterpiece by an artisan from the You Family who had specialized in this medium.
Stylistically the present cup is comparable to works by You Kan; see a cup decorated with a dignitary and three boys seated amid banana and pine trees, formerly in the collection of Dr. Ip Yee and now in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Dr. Ip Yee, ‘Notes on a Collection of Chinese Rhinoceros Horn Carvings’, International Asian Antiques Fair, Hong Kong, 1982, pl. 2; another vessel with the design of fishermen, also in the Palace Museum published ibid., pl. 5; and one with a scholar riding on horseback accompanied by his groom and several retainers, sold in these rooms, 17th April 1985, lot 141.
Compare also a rhinoceros horn cup carved in high relief with a dignitary seated in leisurely contemplation in the shade of a grove illustrated in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl 166; and another vessel depicting an old man fishing, ibid., pl. 150.