**A RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP

17TH/18TH CENTURY

Details

**A RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
17TH/18TH CENTURY
Of open flower form with overlapping petals on the interior, the exterior carved on one side with a pair of phoenixes (fenghuang) standing atop the open rockwork base beneath a moon amidst clouds at the rim, on the reverse a crane flies above its mate standing below and nearby a small bird is perched on a rock beside a pair of birds touching beaks while in flight below bamboo and prunus branches sprouting from the rocks above, the handle formed by the intertwining trunks of two trees on which a pair of birds perch
6 5/16 in. (16 cm.) long, wood stand

Lot Essay

The decoration on this cup, pairs of various kinds of birds including the phoenixes and the cranes, would imply wishes for longevity and a harmonious marriage.

Two rhinoceros horn cups in the Chester Beatty Library include the two types of birds seen on this cup. See J. Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, p. 187, no. 253, for a detail of a cup with a pair of cranes and no. 254 for a cup with a pair of phoenixes. The style of carving on both of these appears to be very similar to that on the present cup.

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