Lot 2914. A large archaistic rhinoceros horn libation cup, Late Ming-Early Qing dynasty, 17th-18th century; 7 1/8 in. (18.1 cm.) wide. Estimate HKD 2,500,000 - HKD 3,500,000. Price Realized HKD 3,260,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011

The vessel of elegantly shaped tapering form, carved in medium relief around the sides with stylised taotie masks on a leiwen ground divided at the sides and front of the cup by vertical bands of square geometric cartouches, the broadly-formed mouth, rim and foot encircled by keyfret borders, the large plain curved handle surmounted by six chilong vividly portrayed in high relief at play, with two further chilong on either side below the shaped spout, the material of a rich amber tone darkening to a walnut tone at the core.

Note: The form of the present carving is based on ritual vessels of the Western Zhou dynasty (c. 1100-771 BC), such as the bronze yi sold at Christie's New York, 21 September 2000, lot 167. While the ancient bronze prototypes typically have four short legs rather than an oval foot, many of the later Ming and Qing interpretations of the form in jade and rhinoceros horn carvings have dispensed with the legs in favour of a stepped foot.

Compare the form and characteristic broad curved spout with a rhinoceros horn libation cup in the Qing Imperial collection, illustrated in Bamboo, Wood and Ivory Carvings, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2002, vol. 44, p. 152, no. 134 (see fig. 1). The Palace Museum example bears the mark of the carver, Hu Xingyue, and is dated to the late Ming period. For a related archaistic cup from the Songzhutang Collection, see T. Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 49, no. 2.

fig. 1. A rhinoceros horn libation cup in the Qing Imperial collection, illustrated in Bamboo, Wood and Ivory Carvings, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2002, vol. 44, p. 152, no. 134.