Lot 74. A large carved rhinoceros horn libation cup, Qing dynasty, 17th-18th century; 15.8cm., 6 1/4 in. Est. 30,000—50,000 GBP. Lot Sold 79,250 GBP. Courtesy Sotheby's 2009

the horn of dark amber tone, finely carved around the exterior with a scholar in a mountainous landscape, an old gnarled and knotted pine tree forming the handle. 

Note: This rhinoceros horn cup is notable for its meticulously carved scene, and exemplifies the dexterity of Qing dynasty craftsmen. The combination of trees modelled in the round, as seen on the tree-shaped handle, and smooth surfaces with the finely textured details of the leaves create a richly ornate and aesthetically pleasing piece. Carvings of this type are influenced by painted handscrolls as the design extends from one side to the other and can be appreciated by turning the cup as though unrolling a painting. See a similarly carved cup depicting a scholar and acolyte in a landscape, sold in our New York rooms, 21^st September 2006, lot 2; another sold at Christie's New York, 1^st June 1990, lot 86; and a third example, in the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University, illustrated in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 131. 

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 13 May 09.