A rare rhinoceros horn 'riverscape' libation cup


17th centuryThe flaring sides raised on a hollowed oval base, elaborately carved around the exterior in delicate relief with a continuous riverscape depicting a scholar seated on a rocky outcrop amidst pine and wutong trees emerging from rock formations beside a stream flowing tortuously through jagged rocks cascading to the base, the openwork handle formed by gnarled branches of wutong and pine trees continuing over the rim into the interior, the material of a rich amber honey tone, box. 14.5cm (5 3/4in) long (2).
|十七世紀 犀角雕山水人物杯Provenance:Dora Wong Collection, USAngela Chua Collection, Hong Kong來源：美國黃蕙英女士收藏香港蔡劉木蘭女士收藏This rhinoceros horn cup is remarkable for the meticulous carving incorporating the harmonious river landscape onto the rhinoceros horn, successfully rendering the finely textured details of the wutong and pine trees in openwork as seen on the tree-shaped handle as well as on the flaring sides of the cup. For a related example of a rhinoceros horn libation cup with similar composition of jagged rocks and pine and wutong trees next to a swirling stream, compare with a 'river landscape' libation cup, by Sheng Fugong, 17th century, from the Songzhutang Collection, illustrated by T.Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, no.160, and J.Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, p.137, no.152, which was later sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 October 2013, lot 3153.類似題材和構圖之犀角雕山水杯，可參考松竹堂舊藏一例，刻「盛輔功」款，見霍滿棠，《中國犀角雕刻珍賞》，香港，1999年，編號160，及Jan Chapman，《中國的犀牛角雕刻藝術》，倫敦，1999年，頁137，編號152，後售於香港蘇富比，2013年10月8日，拍品3153。