Lot 2701
  • 2701

A SMALL BIRD-FORM RHINOCEROS HORN CUP 17TH CENTURY

Estimate
400,000 - 600,000 HKD
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Description

carved as a shallow peach-shaped cup curving to form the body of a bird in flight, the rim set with a high-relief bird head, the back of the head extending onto the interior, the mouth of the bird grasping a sprig of lotus flowers attached to three lotus pads forming the feet of the cup, the body of the bird finely picked out with low-relief raised lines forming the feathers, the horn with a smooth, dark-brown patina

Provenance

Collections of Edward T. Chow (purchased in Hong Kong, 1960)  and Franklin Chow.

Exhibited

One Man's Taste. Treasures from the Lakeside Pavilion, Galleries of the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1988, cat. no. R16.
Craving for Carvings: Rhinoceros Horn from the Chow Collection, Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, 2003, cat. no. fc16.

Literature

Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 173.

Condition

The overall condition is quite good with only four minor shallow fills along the rim to small nibbles. The sprig that is in the bird's mouth was once attached to the lotus sprig, but now is no longer attached. The1 cm section was probably done in openwork. Both ends have been polished down.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Carved from the whole of a small Sumatran rhinoceros horn into an exquisite and gem-like miniature cup, this is a fine and rare example of a bird-form vessel. The bird is depicted in a stylised fashion with curling feathers and with its crest peering over the lip of the interior of the vessel. Although not immediately identifiable, judging from its size, shape and crest it may be a quail which was one of the favourite birds in the repertoire of Chinese painters, potters and carvers. The quail represents harmony and peace as it bears the character an in its name, a pun for the word 'peace' (ping'an).

The maker of this cup has skilfully used his material and made the bird's head form the handle while the natural shape of the lip of the horn has been fashioned into the rise of the animal's wings as if it is about to lift off. Furthermore, the feathers on the wings gently follow the horn's natural curvature, allowing the artisan to retain the original form of his material as much as possible. The use of the horn of a Sumatran rhinoceros is intentional, as it is much more curved back than those of its other two Asiatic cousins, the Indian and Javan rhinoceros. Its stem is also more slender and in cross-section is found to be more circular allowing the fashioning of a perfect cup in the form of this quaint and auspicious bird.

For examples of bird-form vessels, see one with its long tail feathers curved down to form the cup's handle, and its back hollowed out to provide a cavity for liquid to be poured out through the beak, from the collection of the Harvard University Art Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts, published in Fok, op.cit., pl. 174. Compare also a smaller cup fashioned as a recumbent phoenix with the bird's beak forming the handle, from the collection of Thomas Fok, included ibid., pl. 177. 

Bird-form cups are known from as early as the Han dynasty when they were made in lacquer, a highly prized material at the time; see a cup in the Yangzhou Museum, Jiangsu province, illustrated in Zhongguo qiqi quanji, vol. 3, Fujian, 1998, pl. 275.