MING DYNASTY, 16TH/17TH CENTURY

Details

AN IMPORTANT AND EXTREMELY RARE RHINOCEROS HORN DEER-FORM LIBATION CUP
MING DYNASTY, 16TH/17TH CENTURY
The hollowed cup superbly carved as a powerful full-bodied recumbent deer, its front talon-like feet contentedly crossed at the front below the chest which bears the four-character inscription, Tianlu yongchang, 'Eternal prosperity', its rear legs partially tucked beneath the body which is adorned with ruyi cloud-like swirls, the animal's head naturalistically carved with the horns, eyes and nose slightly raised to act as a stand for the cup, its finely detailed fur and ears swept backwards, with long horns trailing behind and resting on its back to either side of a raised dorsal ridge terminating in a bushy tail falling in curls at the base, the stone of a rich walnut tone lightening slightly to a golden brown colour at the base
5 1/2 in. (14 cm.) wide

Provenance

John Warrack, LL.D., Edinburgh
Previously sold at Sotheby's London, 12th November, 1974, lot 134
Acquired in London in the 1970s

Literature

Francois Leroy, Connaissance Des Arts, 'Les coupes en corne de rhinoceros', July 1978, no. 4.
Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, p. 83, no. 57

Exhibited

Royal Academy of Arts, London, International Exhibition of Chinese Art, November 1935 - March 1936, illustrated in the Catalogue, p. 264, no. 2945

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory, tortoiseshell and crocodile. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

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Lot Essay

This extremely rare cup is one of the finest examples of a small group of rhinoceros horn cups modelled in the form of deer or deer-like creatures dating to the 17th and 18th centuries. Two further examples are illustrated alongside the current cup by J. Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pp. 83-84, nos. 56 and 58. The first, from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection, previously sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 25 November 1987, lot 490, is of particular interest because it bears both a Wanli reign mark and a Bao Tiancheng sealmark which helps to date this group. The present carving is of a more restrained and simple form possibly pointing to an even earlier dating. Unlike the Wanli-marked example, the present cup is ingeniously designed to rest comfortably on its wide base so the splendid carving can be admired but the head has also been cleverly carved to form the base for the cup and allow it to balance safely upside down. The second cup, illustrated by J. Chapman, formerly in the Dr. Ip Yee Collection is similarly designed as a dual purpose piece. Two further examples in this group include a cup sold at Sotheby's New York, 20 November 1973, lot 48 and another cup in the Jules Speelman Collection.

The inscription on the present cup is a play on the word lu which is a homophonous for both 'deer' and 'wealth'.

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