Bateau en corne de rhinocéros sculptée Chine, Dynastie Ming, XVIIE siècle

sculpté en trois dimensions à décor de l'immortel Zhang Qian descendant benoîtement une rivière assis sur son embarcation de fortune constituée d'un tronc d'arbre noueux évidé, ciselure de vagues sous la base à l'imitation des flots tumultueux plus tardive

The horn is extensively pitted beneath its base with the carved waves likely to be a later addition. A possibility could be that the bottom part of the raft was cut down after deteriorating, and the waves carved at this later stage. The colour of the horn is of a slightly darker tone than on the catalogue illustration, and the patina is somewhat "moist" around the body, with a more shiny polish towards the rear of the raft. Otherwise the cup and wood stand are in good condition.
"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.
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Rhinoceros horn carvings in the form of rafts are rare and the present piece is a fine example of its kind. Log-rafts are technically amongst the most challenging and complex forms to create, and can be found in various sizes and forms. The figure seated in the raft is Zhang Qian, the famous Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) explorer and imperial envoy, who was the first official diplomat to travel to Central Asia and bring back information to the Imperial court that facilitated the opening of the empire to commercial trade with its neighbours. According to legends, his travels were also in search of the source of the Yangzi River, the origin of the Milky Way galaxy, and the means of making grapes into wine. Hence the popularity of making wine-puring vessels using him as the main subject matter.
The largest collection of rhinoceros horn carvings of rafts, in one institution, can be found in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, with four examples mentioned by Jan Chapman in The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, p. 77, and one illustrated, pl. 47. Further examples can be found illustrated in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 71, in the collection of Harvard University Art Museum; pl. 71, in the collection of Dora Wang; pl. 73, in the Arthur M. Sackler Collection; and pl. 74, from the collection of Franklin Chow. Two further rafts, form the Qing court collection and still in Beijing are illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pls. 118 and 120, the latter with an inscription added by the Qianlong emperor in the 55^th year of his reign (equivalent to 1790 AD). Compare also a raft-cup sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 25^th November 1987, lot 482; another sold in our London rooms, 12^th June 1990, lot 109, and one by Christie's New York, 29^th March 2006, lot 237. Bo Gyllensvard in 'Two Yuan Silver Cups and Their Importance for Dating of Some Carvings in Wood and Rhinoceros Horn', B.M.F.E.A., no. 43, 1971, p. 226, mentions three rhinoceros raft vessels in the collection of His Majesty the King of Sweden and illustrates one, pl. 4. These Yuan silver cups represent the iconographic prototype for 'Zhang Qian on a log raft' design. Three silver rafts bearing the seal of Zhu Bishan and dated to 1345 are in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, and in the Cleveland Museum of Art, illustrated in Chapman, op.cit., pp. 263-4, figs. 382-3.