A RETICULATED STEM 'LOTUS LEAF' RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP 17TH CENTURY

the highly polished amber and black coloured conically shaped horn carved in the form of a furled lotus leaf forming the cup, with subtle veining on both the interior and exterior, wrapped on the exterior with high-relief lotus flowers, with further lotus leaves and reeds all issuing from long thin intertwining reticulated stalks tapering to a point, the base detailed with the small holes of cut stalks, the rim of the interior set with a water weed and a small floret to one end, wooden stand

Collections of Edward T. Chow (purchased in London, 1968) and Franklin Chow.

One Man's Taste. Treasures from the Lakeside Pavilion, Galleries of the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1988, cat. no. R12.
Craving for Carvings: Rhinoceros Horn from the Chow Collection, Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, 2003, cat. no. fc12.

Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 96.

Apart from a 5 mm triangular nibble on the rim of the back of the horn and a 6 mm indentation from a insect hole that does not go all the way through to the interior, the overall condition is very good. The patina is very attractive and surface is highly polished.
"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."

This cup belongs to the well known group of vessels in the form of a large lotus leaf with buds, blossoms and smaller leaves born on slender long stalks. It is carved in openwork that shows the original conical shape of the material. The craftsman has skilfully made use of the entire length of the horn with the solid tip transformed into the stems of the plant. Jan Chapman in The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pp. 72-73, notes that the hollow cavity of an Asian horn is the natural shape of a leaf, and both the inner and outer surfaces can be engraved to show the typical vein markings. 

Purchased in 1968, Edward Chow describes this cup as shengdong ziran ('lyrical and picturesque') with the foliage rendered in a vivid and naturalistic fashion.  He further notes that the carver has made the vessel with great care and has produced a masterpiece.

The inspiration for cups of this type may have come from one of the earliest carvings known from the Qing Court collection, which also uses the entire horn: a cup in the form of a mallow-flower, attributed to the early Ming dynasty and illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 109.

For related lotus leaf cups where the original shape of the horn has been skilfully preserved see one, in the collection of Mr. Michel de Selys Longchamps, included in Fok, op.cit., pl. 95; and another, in the collection of Dora Wang, exhibited at the Sackler Museum in Washington D.C. and illustrated in the World Journal (Shijie Zhou Kan), no. 852, 2000, p. 12. Compare also two fine cups of this type sold in our London rooms, 31st October 1986, lot 175, and 27th October 1989, lot 186.

Whole horns were also used for making a completely different type of vessel. They were fashioned to represent a large lotus leaf with a long stalk, but by bending the tip of the horn upward a sprout was created for a water dropper. For examples of water droppers, see one published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, op.cit., pl. 115; another included in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carvings, Beijing, 2004, pl. 207; and a third from the collection of Arthur M. Sackler, illustrated in Fok, op.cit., pl. 100, together with a cup in the Shanghai Museum, pl. 101.