18TH CENTURY

Details

**A FINELY CARVED ARCHAISTIC RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP
18TH CENTURY
Carved inside and out with eight lobes rising from the pedestal foot to the flared rim, the sides encircled by a raised band of archaistic taotie masks executed in thread relief reserved on a leiwen ground, with narrow bands of key fret at the rims and with a swarm of seven chilong at one end which forms the openwork handle, two shown confronting each other while the largest pulls itself up onto the rim between two smaller dragons, the horn of deep honey-brown color
7 1/8 in. (18 cm.) long, box

Lot Essay

The combination of archaistic decoration and numerous crawling chilong appears to have been popular with the carvers of rhinoceros horn cups. Perhaps it was the contrast of the sinuous bodies and muscular movement of the dragons to the underlying formalized design of the archaistic bands that made it so attractive to their imaginations and talents. Several cups showing this type of decoration are illustrated by T. Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, 1999, nos. 4, 9, 15, 19, 20, 22, 25, 26 and 41. Another from the collection of the late Dr. Ip Yee is illustrated by J. Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, p. 130, no. 135.

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