A RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP WITH HAWKS QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

the maroon coloured conical horn carved as a pine tree trunk with two high-relief birds on the back of the horn, one hawk standing on a pine branch, the second bird depicted in flight with wings outstretched and feet drawn towards the body set at the rim, the gnarled pine branches wrapped around the trunk and extending over the rim onto the interior, the surface further lightly carved with patches of pine bark

Spink & Son, London, 1978.
Collections of Edward T. Chow and Franklin Chow.

One Man's Taste. Treasures from the Lakeside Pavilion, Galleries of the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1988, cat. no. R15.
Craving for Carvings: Rhinoceros Horn from the Chow Collection, Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, 2003, cat. no. fc15.

Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 169.

The overall condition is very good with only a small repair to a 3 cm crack from the rim that is masked by the pine tree and branches. The surface is slightly matte.
"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."

The carving of this vessel is especially fine with the two hawks strategically placed to take advantage of the material's organic form and fibrous inclusions. The natural groove running down the long curve of the horn is particularly deep. The pair of hawks are described by Edward Chow in his notes as you li ('strong'). The artist has successfully transferred the image of the hawk, well known from Tang dynasty mural paintings, into a three-dimensional composition. See a Tang painting depicting a hunting scene, from the west mural in the second tunnel of the tomb of Prince Yide in Qian, Shaanxi province, illustrated in Sekai bijutsu taizenshu: Toyo hen, vol. 4, Tokyo, 1997, p. 31.  

Bird of prey such as hawks and eagles (ying) represent the hero in Chinese art as its name is homophonous with the character for hero (yingxiong). A flying hawk conveys the wish for attaining a journey of ten thousand miles (pengcheng wanli) and the wish for a long and successful career.

Rhinoceros horn vessels bearing the design of birds are rare,  although a cup deeply carved with a bird of prey, possibly a hawk, swooping down against a background of waves, in the Chester Beatty collection is included in Jan Chapman, 'The Chester Beatty Collection of Chinese Carved Rhinoceros Horn Cups', Arts of Asia, May-June 1982, p. 78, fig. 13. Another cup, carved with a richly plumed hawk perched on one of the branches while, on the opposite side, another swoops down in flight, was offered in our New York rooms, 30th March 2006, lot 135. A third example depicting a pair of doves, flying above jagged rockwork, was sold in our London rooms, 13th July 2005, lot 108.

See also a cup carved with a design of mandarin duck and lotus, bearing the seal of the late Ming period master carver You Kan, formerly in the collection of Dr. Ip Yee and now in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 127.